Enslaved
by MindTrash
Summary: AU. Suna succeeded in the Konoha crush, enslaving Sakura and her people. Years later Sakura is forced into the care of the man who destroyed her village, and is surprised by what she finds in him. Gaara, on the other hand, is interested in becoming more... 'social'
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hi guys! So I had to take a break from my other fics to bust out this pretty number for a GaaSaku fest. Hopefully I'll return to my other two, but this one is a gem and is nice and lengthy.**

 **Now, for those who don't know already I am a rather dark writer. This is a bit more light hearted than some of my other fics, but it is still rather dubcon and not necessarily in the realm of normal romance.**

 **Also, I'm very heavy on the smut. It's a curse. There is no such thing as a slow burn for me. At any rate, I hope you enjoy the story!**

Blue.

The sky was a bright blue, like the shade of a robin's egg. She wondered if it was cooler up there too, wishful dreams had her wanting to reach up to disappear in the vast color. Away from all this burning yellow sand.

Sakura moved forward in the long line of frightened girls, she kept her eyes on her overworked sandals as they kicked through the ocre dust. The sun burned brightly above, as if it were pointing a judging finger at her.

The pinkette dreamt of a time when she was back in Konoha under the shade of brilliant green trees, but that time was so long ago, and she had been viewing the world through childlike eyes.

Eyes that had not seen war, famine, disease, and death.

Now she hated her life, she hated what had become of her people. Barely eighteen, and her life was technically over.

Naruto had failed. The beast inside the sand ninja known as Gaara had rampaged on the leaf, destroying almost everything in a wave of sand and dust. Her people had fought valiantly, some even pop up now and again to stir the pot, but it was and still is all in vain

Some called it an ongoing war, but she knew it for what it truly was. Suna had already won, and there was no changing that fact. With at least five years of enslavement under her belt she knew better than to hope for rescue, or to think things would go better since the sand's Kazekage, Rasa, was dead.

Sakura had never been more wrong.

When the sand village found out that their leader was deceased the council took charge, and unfortunately Suna's council was made up of a group of rather corrupt people.

Sasuke had left her behind, and Naruto had followed after him blindly, but she couldn't escape in time. In her attempt, she had been captured, and forced to perform laborious tasks for scraps. Luckily she was an intelligent girl, and they seemed to appreciate that, so they eventually upgraded her to better working conditions. The other girls were not so lucky.

However, today was not a work day, today felt like she was going to her own funeral. The former kunoichi marched painfully slow with the other women, and she realized that they must be gathering them all for something nefarious.

They were all lined up, and faced towards the blinding hot sun. A bead of sweat trickled down her brow, and she wiped it away with a sigh.

'I really don't want to know what happens next...' Sakura grimaced as a group of officials came walking by to inspect them.

'I have a bad feeling about this.'

"Welcome, ladies! Today is a very special day, and a few of you are going to be very happy!" A middle aged man dressed in white robes walked up and down the line looking over each girl. "You'll have good food, a warm bed, and clean living spaces-"

When he got to Sakura he seemed to pause for a moment before nodding, he did the same when he got to Ino, and even Hinata. Soon he was whispering something in one of the guard's ears, and started to point out the girls he had picked.

'I am not going to be in a fucking harem-'

"Alright, if you are approached please follow the instructions given to you!" The man shouted out, and it was made clear just how real this situation was becoming. A guard walked over to the former kunoichi, and waved her to follow him.

"I'm not going. I know what you are doing, and I'm not going to join a harem." Sakura stood her ground proudly, her eyes narrowed in the light of the burning sun. The guard sighed and went to grab her, but received a fist to the jaw for his efforts. "Back off! I'm not going to do it-!"

"You dare defy orders, girl?!" The official stormed over, and in her distraction the guard tackled her to the ground. She kicked, punched, bit, and spat at both of the men. The man towering over her was not pleased. "Kankuro deserves more obedient concubines, you can send this one to the beast's room. See if he'll actually take one this time around instead of killing it. I'd hate to waste such a pretty face-"

"It?! IT!? I AM A PERSON-!"

"You are nothing! Irritating shrew! Learn your place!" This time it was the official who spat at her, and kicked a good deal of dust in her face for extra measure. Sakura felt her legs push to lunge, but was swiftly cracked on the back of her head with something very hard.

Then there was darkness...

\- ... - ... - ... -

The pounding pain came first, and she realized that it was too horrible for her to be dead.

l Her eyes creaked open to see a room doused in many shadows, with little to no light pouring through the boarded windows. The floor was made of wood, but the curving walls were clearly sandstone. All she could make out was a bunch of broken furniture, a ripped up bed with tattered pillows that ended up looking like a humanoid nest. Some scratched up curtains also seemed to be draped over the haphazardly boarded windows, and they fluttered slightly in the hot breeze.

Speaking of hot breeze, it was steaming in the room.

Sakura let herself shed out of her normal Suna clothing in favor of the black tank and shorts underneath. As the cloaking fabric plopped to the floor a creak resounded somewhere in the shadows, as if alerted by the sound of the cotton. She was just as wary, sitting ramrod straight as she looked in the direction of the sound. If she were an animal you would probably see her ears twitching about in an effort to pick up a predator's stalk.

"Who's there?" Sakura asked calmly, figuring it to probably be another prisoner.

"Fate." A rasped voice answered, as if the person had been drinking sand. It sounded deep though, so she would assume this person was male.

"That's a bit melodramatic..." The pinkette smirked to herself as she turned her cloak into a pillow. She rested her head on the balled up fabric, and groaned at the soreness of her scalp. "God, that bastard nearly broke my skull... I think I might be bleeding-"

"You're not." He answered again, only his voice sounded a bit closer now. It almost unnerved her, but she was still glad for the company.

"You checked on me?" Sakura smiled at the darkness, and again the floorboards shifted slightly.

"No, blood just has a distinctive smell-"

"Ah! I bet you were a butcher before this, maybe even a hunter. How long have you been here?" The pinkette looked to the ceiling, and wondered how they got them to round out like domes.

"One could say I am both of those things, and to answer your question I've been here for a very long time." The rasped tone sounded even closer than before, and it was then that she could make out a silhouette. A slimmer build, probably good at chasing down game.

"Do you miss your family? What am I saying, of course you do. I bet you have a young wife, maybe a child waiting for you at home..." Sakura rolled her head back to the silhouette, but it stayed frozen to its spot.

"I have none of those things-"

"What?! You don't have anyone? Seriously?" The pinkette was suddenly up off the pillow, and rolling into a seated position. "I'm really sorry about that, you seem like a nice guy too."

There was a hard silence in the room, with the exception of an oncoming sandstorm sounding off outside. She had to re-break this growing ice quickly.

"Well, my family is dead, and my team left me behind. I got thrown in here because I refused to be one of Kankuro's concubines, but now I'm wondering just what they are planning for me now." The silhouette shifted slightly, but she felt she was just barely hitting the surface with this person. "So... if it's any consolation... I'm here now to join you for whatever amount of time we have left in this world."

"You're going to die tonight." The man answered coldly, and she felt his tone pierce through her like senbon needles.

"How do you know? Did they tell you that?" Sakura was unconsciously getting onto her hands and knees, making her realize that her gut was trying tell her something crucial.

"No. They told me nothing. They just threw you in here, and spoke to each other about how you'll be dead by morning." The figure straightened from a hunched position into a more proper one, she couldn't see his eyes but his pale neck was visible. "You're the first one to not scream your head off after being thrown in here, I'm impressed."

"I'm not afraid to die." The pinkette answered truthfully, and it actually put a burden on her heart to think about it. "Actually... I can't fight back. I can't escape. My family is gone. There is no future for me... death sounds like a pretty good option."

"I wish I could die, but I want to exist too." The figure seemed to relax for a moment, and it helped to calm her nerves as well.

"Sounds like you are in limbo my friend, and possibly need a hug." Sakura giggled, but then jumped slightly when something got knocked over abruptly. "Hey, what the hell-?"

"I'm not your friend!" The man growled ferociously, and it was so intimidating that she felt herself immediately recoil. Two hauntingly blue eyes were hit by the light, shining frighteningly in the shadows. "Ha ha ha... you see? You are afraid of me-"

"Well when you snap like that, yeah! What did you expect?!" The pinkette felt a fire within her so she stood up proudly on her feet. "If you keep acting rude I'm not going to talk to you anymore!"

"It's a good thing that's not what you're here for." The figure moved painfully slow into the slivers of light revealing a head of crimson hair, more pale skin covered by a netted t-shirt and black pants. His coal rimmed eyes were familiar, and the character for 'love' on the left side of his forehead gave her an even clearer indication of who she was dealing with.

Her blood ran cold, finding difficulty in pulsing properly through her veins. She felt dizzy, and nauseous.

"There it is... that face." The redhead laughed in a way that made her deeply disturbed. "I don't smell urine on you though, another feat to be sure-"

"Sabaku no Gaara... the beast of the sand-" Sakura placed her hand on a wooden crate to steady herself, but the wood was rotted enough for her hand to fall through while her body slammed to the floor. Her muscles tightened with anxiety as she heard him practically stomp over to her, his form crawling over her angrily before slamming both of his fists onto the boards next to either side of her head.

"Scream!" Gaara growled in her face, showing off his glistening fangs. His breath was hotter than the already steaming air, and it flayed uncomfortably close on her skin.

The redhead's eyes bored into her own like a predator savoring the split moment of the kill. Her eyes couldn't turn away from the haunting ones staring back at her, she felt like she was already dead.

His brow furrowed before his hand snatched up her chin painfully. The young woman winced at how hard he was gripping her, and hissed when he violently turned her head to the side with his sweaty palm.

"Why do you keep looking at me!? Look away-!"

"Why? Do you feel guilt when your victims look at you?" Sakura strained her eyes to stare him down from the side, and only just barely twitched when his other fist slammed down once more.

"I don't like your eyes." The redhead bared his teeth again, but it did nothing to scare her anymore.

She already felt empty. He was trying to break someone who was already broken. Too bad for him.

Just then, something about the redhead changed. His grip on her chin relaxed in favor of being placed on the floor. She turned her face to stare lifelessly at him, as if this were just some sort of dream.

Perhaps it was a dream. Maybe this whole world was just a nightmare, and she was just stuck in a coma.

"What's wrong with you? Scream." Gaara huffed, but it did nothing to get the response that he wanted. Her head finally rolled to the side, and her eyes stared at the cracking boards over the window. They were rotted, just like everything else in this room.

"Like I said, death no longer frightens me. Do whatever you want, I don't care anymore." The former kunoichi's voice went from a normal speaking tone into a saddened one. The more she spoke on it the more she found that she no longer had any fight left in her. She just wanted to die-

Suddenly pain hit her neck like a dog biting down on the flesh. The growling was also reminiscent of an animal. Her adrenaline spiked as her fight or flight response activated, and she cursed her brain for even having such an ability. She squirmed under the pain until it detached, and two pale hands slammed down her shoulders.

"You can't lie to me! You're afraid to die-!"

"My body wants to live, but I assure you my mind is made up. Finish it." Sakura kept her head turned, but was quickly forced by his hand to look at him again. His eyes seemed... confused. Like he had never encountered this before.

His ghostly orbs grew closer, more invasive, until finally he had placed his lips over her own.

'What?!'

At that moment she felt everything flip, from her stomach to her brain; everything shuddered painfully at the realization that he had different ideas other than just to kill her.

He was going to-

No, she would not let him take the last thing she had. She bit his lip hard, and he pulled back snarling.

"BITCH-!"

"Touch me again, and I'll rip your dick off. Do you understand me?" The young woman channeled his own energy right back at him, and it made him blink in surprise.

"You wouldn't live long enough to even reach it." Gaara scoffed for a moment, but practically hissed when her hand reached for him quicker than lightening. With her fingers curled to claw she grasped at what was between his legs, and held it threateningly.

His entire body tightened, his face quickly turned to stone at the realization. Sand began slithering across the floor before slipping over her whole frame. It tickled her skin as it almost caressed her, but it was also quite frightening as well.

"If you're going to kill me, than do it! Don't sully your name further by becoming a rapist as well as a murderer!" Sakura hissed at him, and surprisingly the expression he gave her was an interesting one.

He seemed confused again. Almost shocked, and completely innocent to what she had just accused him of.

A pounding at the door had his sand lunging for her arms and legs, tying them up almost instantly before he backed a few feet away from her. A dark yet familiar form slowly opened the door.

"Gaara, are you done with-?" Kankuro entered before looking at the former kunoichi in shock. He blinked for a moment before turning cautiously to his crazed brother. "She's still alive?"

"She wants to die. I'm waiting until she wants to live again to kill her." Gaara said it so nonchalantly that it made her chest tighten. He was waiting until he could get a full emotional rise out of her before killing her in cold blood. The elder brother looked back at the young woman with widened eyes.

"Sakura, if you'd like... I can take you away from here-"

"SHE'S NOT YOURS!" The redhead howled as his sand violently yanked her over to him. He grabbed her form possessively into his arms as if she were his favorite teddy bear. The young man nuzzled his face against her shoulder while his hands greedily gripped at her ribs and waist. "This one is mine... they threw her in here... so she belongs to me..."

Sakura felt her body rocking forwards and backwards with his own, as if he was trying to soothe himself like a lonely child. His form behind her was tense, and yet hot to the touch. She could feel the man's heart pounding on her back, it was disturbingly intimate. Kankuro merely looked on in horror at the display before looking to the floor with guilt.

"Yes, Gaara. She's yours, and a part of you. So instead of killing her you should try to keep her safe." The elder brother looked over to the corner of the room where Sakura saw a real teddy bear laying lifelessly on the floor. It seemed to be surprisingly in tact. "Think of her like a toy, you never seem to destroy your toys-"

"I will do whatever I please with her! Unless you have work for me you will leave us!" Gaara snarled like a rabid dog foaming at the mouth, and the display had his brother backing up fearfully. The pale hands holding her began clawing at her frame forcing her to wince in discomfort. This did something to Kankuro, something akin to guilt, and that surprised her beyond belief.

"Okay, I'm leaving. There's no need for anger..." Kankuro placed his hands in the air as he retreated, and closed the door gently behind him.

Suddenly she felt very alone, and more frightened than before. The redhead was panting hard against her ear, but it sounded as if he were in some sort of pain. One hand abandoned her, rising up to grip at his skull while he groaned in discomfort.

He seemed to be in a lot of pain, and her conscience pushed empathy through her as he started to whimper from it.

"...Are you in pain?" Sakura spoke just above a whisper so as not to startle him, but it only made him snarl at her while digging his fingers into her abdomen.

"It's none of your concern!" Gaara shouted in her ear, leaving it ringing painfully. Suddenly he wrapped his legs around her, as if he was trying to make her belong to him completely. She needed to try harder with him.

"I like to be useful... since I'm staying here with you, will you allow me to help?" The pinkette asked gently, only receiving an irritated grunt. She decided to try again. "I'm not strong enough to hurt you, and you know this, but I can help with that headache."

The redhead stilled his fidgeting as he ingested her request. His fingers digging into her flesh relaxed, but his tone was still threatening in her ears.

"How?" He growled, and placed his mouth on her bare shoulder like a pouting child. Had it been someone she cared for it would have been cute.

"About ninety percent of the time a headache is caused by muscle strains, I assure you that at least part of your headache will go away if you let me tend to your shoulders." Sakura spoke carefully, she knew that this man was unpredictable, and if she was going to survive this without getting assaulted she would have to get him on her side somehow. She needed to build some sort of trust with him. "I know it must seem odd, but I assure you that I won't be able to hurt you-"

"If you think I'm scared of people touching me you are mistaken. I just don't like it." Gaara huffed stubbornly again, and his heated breath flayed over her shoulder making the area sensitive. She shivered for a moment, but then collected herself.

"It might ache a little bit if you have a lot of knots in your muscles, but I assure you that you will feel better afterwards." The pinkette countered, and received another hot exhale on her skin.

It was silent for a long while, and while she waited for an answer she stared at the dust floating through the air. The cracks of light making it highly visible.

The redhead suddenly released her, but she waited for a moment before moving away so as not to make it seem like she was afraid of him. She patted on the floor in front of her with a gentle smile.

"Laying down is best-"

"I'm not an animal, I refuse to be beckoned with gestures." Gaara growled at her, and yet he still laid himself out of the ground in front of her.

Only... he was laying on his back...

"Um... I need you to lay on your stomach... please." Sakura looked around the room to avoid whatever scrutiny he had planned for her, but all she heard was an irritated groan before he rolled himself over. Smiling to herself she scooted closer to him, and leaned over to start massaging his neck.

The muscles there were like literal rocks. She wondered how he could even turn his head with the flesh so knotted up. She would have to get serious if she were to provide him with relief.

The pinkette swung her leg over him, straddling his waist but not placing any of her weight on his back. He seemed to stiffen a bit, but as her hands came back to his neck and shoulders he seemed to relax again.

Sakura started out with extreme gentleness, and after a few minutes she added more pressure. He gave a long exhale, which had her wondering if her ministrations were affecting him at all. She added more pressure, gaining a strained yet relieved moan from him.

Why was she blushing? He was just making a sound, it's not supposed to be a big deal.

The muscles were finally starting to loosen a bit, so she placed more pressure into her hands to work out the next layer of tension. This time he hissed, obviously feeling some discomfort, but he let her continue regardless.

"Harder..." Gaara groaned, leaving the pinkette absolutely flustered. No one had ever said such a thing, and in that tone of voice to boot. With a deeper blush she pressed down hard, using a good deal of her body weight to work out the knots. He snarled through his teeth, and just as she thought he was about to ask her to keep going he quickly turned underneath her.

Suddenly the redhead was facing upright, glaring at her while showing his gritting teeth. He grabbed both of her wrists, pulling her forward slightly to look at her more closely in the eyes. Her knees slid out on the ground, forcing her to literally straddle his lower abdomen.

"That hurt!" Gaara barked at her, but all she could think about was ways to get off of his lap. She tried adjusting her knees inwards to get herself off of him, but he kept pulling her down by her wrists. "You said you wouldn't hurt me-!"

"I can't physically harm you, and it didn't harm you!" Sakura argued with him, and his face soured over the fact that she would even try it. She tried wriggling out of his grip once more, and just as her hands got free his found their way to her hips to hold her there.

"Stop trying to run!" The redhead growled, holding her so firmly that it pressed her weight down on him further. "You're afraid of me! I knew it-!"

"I'm not scared! I'm just uncomfortable sitting on you!" The pinkette shrieked at him, his coal rimmed eyes growing wide in confusion. When his seafoam eyes darted to where their bodies met his hands quickly slipped away from her.

This time she darted away quickly, wanting nothing more than to be far away from him. She scurried over to a dark corner of the room, hiding her face in the corner of a wall.

He was going to come after her, she just knew it.

Footfalls, and they sounded angry.

'He's going to attack-'

The slam of a door was what had her whipping her head around. Gaara was gone... and now she was completely alone.

She wondered if she had insulted him with her accusing behaviors. After all, he didn't seem to care about her being a woman in the slightest. Perhaps she didn't even interest him that way, but rather just the fact that she was another human being in his space.

What was to happen to her now?

\- … - … -

He knew her face.

Those piercing eyes had haunted his waking dreams, and now she was in his space. That girl was probably still shivering in a corner.

"Sakura." The redhead remembered her name, and said it aloud to himself as he wrapped his bloodied sand around a rebel shinobi. The screams were merely background noise as he clenched his hand, feeling the phantom pressure of life in it. Like a child squeezing an invisible porcelain doll he felt the ninja crack, and squish in his palm.

Blood rained down on him, but all he could think on was how he once had the pink haired kunoichi in his grasp too. He had squeezed his sand around her body, ready to crush her like all of the rest of his victims.

Her pained eyes, her whimpering cries of agony... it had done something to him when he was thirteen... and it was doing something to him now as an adult.

It thrilled him, yet he didn't want her dead. He wanted her to keep making such pained noises for the rest of her days. Trapped in his grasp, squirming and whimpering like an injured animal.

"Sakura..." Gaara's gruff voice slithered past his lips, the sound of her name tickling his ears while prickling the tongue. Perhaps this fascination with her would fade, or maybe it wouldn't. He didn't care, it was distracting enough for right now.

The job was done. He could return back to where they had placed her, in that tower where they allowed him to be as insane as he desired. They even brought him presents, although for some odd reason it was mostly young and 'pretty' women...

They brought the redhead a young man once too, but that didn't last very long, and he assumed that they figured out that men irritated him more than the women. He enjoyed how females would give shrill screams before they died, and it was a nice change of pace in comparison to the cowardly begging he was used to from most males.

When they threw Sakura into that room, and unconscious to boot, he found himself oddly curious. They had never thrown anyone in with him that was completely knocked out before, nor had anyone been as striking in appearance. He knew her instantly, but kept his distance until she had gotten a bit familiar with him.

Too familiar, it made Gaara pissed that she had enough gall to call him 'friend'.

Yet that anger faded when he realized that she had no fear of death, but she did have another fear that he was not used to. A type of humiliation that was foreign to him, and that he never considered acting on due to his hatred of human contact. Something about touching her had the girl clenching up...

This intrigued him, yet he had no clue what it would take to get her to scream. He would just have to continue to test the waters.

The redhead was drenched in rebel blood, but walked through the halls of the Kage building without care. The trail of red dripped behind him, and his bloodied hands opened up any doors that blocked his path. The staff knew to lower their eyes, and as he passed some even bowed respectfully towards him. It was a good gesture, but just one slip up and he would grind them into pink meat.

"Are those rebels taken care of?" The only man not afraid to look him in the eye for the most part, Baki, called over to him from the end of the darkening hall. The sun had finally set, reddening the world around them brilliantly as a dark blue invaded the sky outside.

"They are all dead, nothing but their blood is left behind. I made sure to leave their headbands though, so expect more threats from any comrades that find them." Gaara's voice sounded more grated then usual, even for him. Perhaps it was just fatigue. He'd have to sit down for a while to try to regain some strength.

"Good, I'm sure if they try anything else we'll have another mission for you-"

"I can't wait." Although the tone was monotonous, the small smirk gracing his lips let the jounin know that the thrill of the kill was still pumping inside of him.

A passing thought hit him then, the rebels he killed were former leaf ninja. He wondered about the one locked in the tower.

"The girl the council placed in the tower... is she awake?" The redhead lowered his voice then, as if he didn't want anyone else to know about his new toy. Baki stopped writing up a report to raise a brow curiously, something about the question had gotten his interest, although the bloodied ninja couldn't fathom why.

"No, she went to sleep about an hour ago. I'm surprised you haven't killed her yet." The jounin narrowed his eyes, as if he knew something that Gaara did not.

He wanted to know, he hated being left in the dark.

"Why are you surprised?" Gaara's query was plain, but it got another questionable expression out of the older man.

"Most of the girls we give you are dead within hours, this one has managed to live an entire day. I'm wondering if you have any special plans for her this evening-"

"I'm not following." The redhead deadpanned, but it only got a smirk in return.

"Plans that involve more than just killing her. She is quite beautiful, don't you think?" Baki's smirk grew a bit further on his cheeks leaving his pupil to blink for a moment as he registered the comment.

'Beautiful?' Gaara thought to himself before furrowing his brow. His eyes darted to the floor in deep thought. 'Why would it matter if she is beautiful or not? All bodies crush the same way-'

"Perhaps a more gentle hand would be best on her, or perhaps even a kiss." The jounin overstepped his bounds causing the redhead to glare at his sensei.

"If you are talking about the pressing of lips I already tried." He growled at the older man, but didn't expect his mouth to click with surprise.

"How did it go?"

"She bit me." Gaara seethed, making Baki recoil slightly.

"I see, spirited. No matter, she'll break eventually, or you could always just hold her down with your sand. I personally wouldn't kill her just yet, it would be a waste of her beauty." The jounin sighed before going back to his paperwork.

There was that word again, 'beauty'. As if such features would sway whether he killed her or not. Why was it important whether a woman was beautiful or not? What was so pleasing about a symmetrical face, a healthy body, and bright eyes? He didn't get much joy from just looking at her...

Perhaps that was the problem, she wasn't supposed to be 'just looked at'. Baki had mentioned kissing her, and that act was foreign to him as well. He had seen love conveyed in such ways, but he did not love her.

What purpose was it for? Why do it at all?

This thought bothered him as he made his new destination the tower. He climbed the tall spiral stairs, making his way up in an almost foreboding fashion. Each step had his mind clouded with confusion.

Why touch? Why kiss? Why do any of these things if he was just going to kill her? What was so pleasing about her that he should keep her alive?

Kankuro told him to keep her alive too, in fact he wanted her for himself. Something about that made him feel a bit possessive, as if she was something to covet. Why did Kankuro want her? Was it because she was considered to be beautiful?

Gaara had held her forcefully in his arms, he remembered her body was warm and soft. He had pressed his mouth on hers on a whim, and although he felt a charge from it the initial bite from her had him bitter. She was quite weak in his arms though, and it made his heart pound strangely. The thought that he could throw her around... force her to do anything was empowering. However, what things he would force her to do were lost on him.

Warm, and soft... perhaps holding her again was the key. A 'gentle hand', maybe he needed to touch her some way to get some sort of payment from her presence.

Gaara approached the door, and the guard opened it graciously for him before allowing him through. As the way became shut behind him, he looked around the pitched room to see her laying in the place he liked to sit.

Something strange hit him, she was sleeping so peacefully in his space. Almost like she belonged there... like she belonged to him.

The redhead crossed the room quickly until he could crouch down at her feet. He watched her chest rise, and fall, again and again. It was hypnotizing, he'd never seen anyone so calm in his life.

She stirred with a whimper, and the sound pierced through him like a knife as she turned her form from her side onto her back.

Her chest was so strange, and it rose up with each breath like it was asking for something. He almost felt like leaning forward and biting on one of her breasts.

'That was an odd thought.' Gaara blinked at himself in disbelief, finding no merit in actually biting such a place. Yet he still felt the strange urge to do so. Perhaps this was the beauty they spoke of, and maybe that's what other men wanted from her too. 'It almost sounds like mating-'

Her body jolted awake, distracting him from his initial thought. Her eyes looked around herself blindly, unused to the darkness where as he could see her clear as day. She seemed tired, and confused, yet he was slightly enjoying the idea of watching her while staying hidden in shadow right in front of her.

So close, observing her in her natural state...

A new sort of thrill went through him, and it strangely resonated pleasantly in his stomach. While he enjoyed it, it was so foreign to him that he instantly felt angry about it. It was unexpected, and he didn't like surprises.

No, he was done with this. It was best if he just confronted her, and get this kill over and done with.

"You're in my spot." The redhead growled, and as her whole form jumped he noticed her knees rise up defensively towards her chest. He thought about pinning her down, and forcing her body to stretch out.

Perhaps playing a bit wouldn't be too bad of an idea. He did want her to scream after all.

"I'm sorry... it was the best place to sleep-" Sakura tried to explain, but he could tell there was an unnerved tone to her voice.

"If I don't sleep then you won't either." Gaara made it known that his word was law around here, however, his words seemed to make her back away from him. Her face containing a suspicious fear that had his heart pounding with excitement.

'She's afraid of me... something has changed in my favor...' He began to give a sinister smile at the thought, and before he knew it his hands started to move towards her legs.

"You were so fearless earlier, I'm curious as to what changed your mind?" The redhead gripped fast at her ankles to yank her whole body towards him, the shrill scream of terror that came out of her made his skin break out in gooseflesh. A dark laugh came from his throat, the sinister sound had her frightened and fighting him with her feeble arms.

She was grunting, whimpering fearfully like a cornered animal. It had his blood thrumming through his veins with anticipation for more.

"Now you're really scared! I liked that little scream of yours, do it again!" Gaara pulled hard on her thighs to bring her even closer to him. As he hovered over her the pinkette's fists punched at his chest desperately.

He scoffed at the pitiful attempt, eyeing her creamy neck with intent. Executing his thoughts his hand gripped hard around her throat to pin her to the floor, he could feel her rabbit pulse pounding under his fingers as he squeezed. Wheezing for oxygen she still fought him, and it only made him laugh more. "Beg me not to do it! Beg!"

Something broke in her, he could see it. Sakura's face twisted as she prepared to cry, although he was used to that reaction. Something about it this time, however, seemed to hit him in a place that he thought he had buried away. It stung slightly, but he pushed it down knowing that he would be killing her eventually-

"Please... Gaara... don't... don't do this... please, don't force yourself on me!"

Gaara froze, feeling the accusation wash over him like a cold splash of water.

'She thinks... I'm going to... rape her...' His eyes went wide to that, surprised that she would assume he would even desire someone in such a way. He didn't want that, he had never wanted that nor had he ever even tried.

The redhead continued to gawk at her, looking at her whole weakened form underneath him. She was sobbing like a child.

"Gaara... please-"

The plea made something snap inside him. He was a murderer, yes, but he hadn't completely submitted to the beast inside of him.

"Why do you keep thinking that I'm going to do something like that?" Gaara barked at her, his temper boiling over as her form jolted in his hands. He couldn't contain the emotional reaction rising up in him, he felt himself begin to explode. "IS THAT THE ONLY THING THAT FRIGHTENS YOU-?!"

"Yes." Her small frightened whimper had him straightening in disbelief. His eyes darted around her body, watching her cower away from him not because of the threat of pain or death, but because of the harm he could do to her simply because he was the opposing sex.

Sex. Mating. It made sense as to why it would frighten her. He knew such acts to be intimate even amongst animals, to use such a thing as a weapon was heinous.

Was he capable of such a thing? Could he truly live up to her expectations? He had killed men, women, and children... torturing them just to pass the time...

But could he use an act of bonding to also satisfy his bloodlust?

"That's all it takes... to make you scream?" The way he asked was as if the question were rhetorical, but it didn't stop her from shivering.

The redhead watched that fear move through her, and while he felt something tell him not to do it, his crazed mind told him that it could be fun. This was new... a fresh look on how he could torture.

Gaara scoffed mostly to himself, watching the moonlight glitter over her through cracks in the boards on the windows. She was very pretty, he had finally decided, agreeing with the people who had tried to make that known to him earlier. Perhaps it was time he actually tried doing something other than mindless killing for a change.

"Well... there's a first for everything." The redhead said lowly, watching with sadistic glee as her expression grew mortified.


	2. Chapter 2

The living situation was awful. In a dark corner was a chamber pot, and it was filled with sand rather than water. Almost like some sort of human litter box, it was odd.

At one point a guard threw a bit of stale bread at her, but Sakura left it where it lay as she no longer had an appetite.

It had gone dark outside, and she wondered what time it could possibly be.

The pinkette had been crying for a long time, and felt terribly fatigued. She was so tired that one look at the 'pillow nest' had her stumbling towards it. Avoiding the broken crates she made her way to the pile of shredded pillows and blankets. She practically fell into the mess with a relieved sigh, her tired eyes had slipped shut almost instantly.

The bedding smelled like the beast that held her captive, and yet it wasn't an offensive smell at all. In fact it was oddly comforting.

Sakura didn't dream, but she did awaken abruptly out of nowhere. The room was nearly pitch black, with the exception of moonlight glittering through the boarded windows. A scent of blood seemed to hover in the air-

"You're in my spot." The tired low voice made her jump, and when she tried focusing she noticed a figure crouching right in front of her. She blinked at him while her stomach began to form knots.

"I'm sorry... it was the best place to sleep-"

"If I don't sleep then you won't either." Gaara growled, but it was less threatening than usual. However, his words put her so far on edge that she actually started to back away from him.

This reaction piqued his interest.

"You were so fearless earlier, I'm curious as to what changed your mind-?"

Suddenly the pinkette was yanked forward by her ankles, and she unfortunately screamed as a result. A dark laugh came from his throat, the sinister sound had her fighting him as hard as she could.

"Now you're really scared! I liked that little scream of yours, do it again!" He yanked on her thighs now, bringing her even closer to him, her fists punched at his chest as one pale hand her held her down at the neck while his other grasped at a wrist. When he squeezed, her other hand tried to fight him for air, and his sadistic eyes were made visible to her in the dark. "Beg me not to do it! Beg!"

Sakura felt true fear then. The humiliation, pain, disgust, and the torture of being made completely vulnerable while the body was used like a tissue.

It broke her like a stone shattering a pane of glass. She felt herself crumble into tiny glittering shards at the thought. She had no choice, her fear would not allow her to do otherwise.

"Please... Gaara... don't... don't do this... please, don't force yourself on me!" As she began to break out into fresh tears she felt the hand around her neck tense. His whole body went painfully still, and quiet. The only sound was of her crying out like a child for their mother. She continued to beg him to spare her such tortures, but yet he said nothing. He did nothing. "Gaara... please-"

"Why do you keep thinking that I'm going to do something like that?" The redhead suddenly snarled, and it made her jump once more. Her reaction only made him even more furious. "IS THAT THE ONLY THING THAT FRIGHTENS YOU-?!"

"Yes." Sakura whimpered in a small voice, and it had him sitting up ramrod straight. She was certain that he was probably looking at her in disbelief, but the darkness left her wondering.

"That's all it takes... to make you scream?" The way he asked was as if the question were rhetorical, but it didn't stop her from shivering. He gave a scoff for a moment, but then the moon glinted off of his eyes; showing his malcontent. "Well... there's a first for everything-"

"NO!" The former kunoichi shrieked, and started to kick at him violently. His sand held down her limbs as he pressed on her smaller frame, and the sobbing noises that came from her would have broken the most hardened of hearts.

Yet, this beast felt nothing. His heart was made of black diamond.

"I'm not exactly certain how to start this." Gaara admitted apathetically, and brought his face in to hover over her own. The moon reflected off his eyes like a cat, making it apparent to her that he was like an animal in more ways than one. Her tears started to blind her vision, and she could not see whether he was attacking or not. A warm, wet tongue lapped at her tear stained cheeks reminding her of a loving pet. It was too intimate, too personal.

"Please stop!" Sakura cried, and he lapped at the next batch of tears that rolled down her cheeks. His hands dove into her hair to drag his nails against her scalp, it sent goosebumps down her whole body making her feel shameful. He pulled away to watch her very carefully, as if judging every tiny reaction she had. Her breath was heaving painfully with anxiety, but it only seemed to keep him invested.

'He's not stopping!' She panicked as one of his hands smoothed down her throat, and stroked down the center of her chest. She kicked her legs , but he had his knees forcing them apart to the point that she couldn't get them around to get a hit in.

The redhead reached for the hem of her tank top, and began pulling it up with curiosity. The pinkette screamed again jolting her body with an attempt to get away from him, but it did nothing as he slowly exposed her chest to the cool night air.

He stalled for a moment, and with a cautious touch he ran his fingertips experimentally along one breast. It felt good, and that part also made her feel sick. She started to cry again, stirring something inside of him that forced his hand in groping her chest firmly. Her body jerked violently at the touch, but it couldn't stop his other hand from doing the same to her other mound.

It wasn't supposed to feel good, yet it did, and it had her wanting to vomit.

"Soft..." Gaara murmured to himself, and bent his head down to take a mound into his mouth. Sakura whimpered at the sensation in both fear and pleasure. Her mind forced her to drift as if she was getting prepared to leave her body- "SCREAM!"

The sound of his raw voice had her plummeting back into reality, but with it came the realization of something very important. Like a wakeup call.

This beast did not want her pleasure, he wanted her to be in pain. There was a way out, she could end this, but it would require a collected mind. If she focused on acting, and decided to pretend to be someone she was not then perhaps she could avoid this.

She'd have to play a person who might enjoy something like this. Someone who could be attracted to such a despicable man.

"I c-can't..." Sakura cursed her small voice, but continued to try her method. He glared at her for a moment, and surprisingly she could see the expression in the dark. His head dipped back down to lap at her breast greedily, and she chose that moment to let out an approving moan. However, the sound was unfortunately real, and as sick as it made her she felt that her body enjoyed his sinister attentions.

He finally broke away, proving her theory right that he did not actually want to do this out of desire for her, but rather his sadistic nature.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Gaara questioned her incredulously, but she played off acting coy. With a submissive whimper she executed her part well.

"I don't know... I thought I would hate this, but..." The former kunoichi looked off to the side shyly, and felt hope when she heard him snarl.

"How dare you!" His hand went into her hair to pull, making her wince in discomfort. She could feel his burning breath flay against her face. "Tell me you hate it!"

The redhead then pressed his mouth bruisingly hard over her own, forcing his tongue past her teeth. Normally she would have fought such an action, but to make her case seem real she returned the violent kiss.

Her lips parted further for him, and his hot tongue licked at the inside of her mouth without reservation. His one hand gripped hard at her hip, his mouth growling and panting against her lips as he viciously kissed her. Delicate hands traced along the tops of his shoulders until they draped gently behind his neck.

It was a fight for dominance, and it was strangely heady. Sakura felt herself go slightly dizzy while dragging her tongue along his own, and oddly felt him begin to slow to a more hypnotic pace. The inside of his mouth was hot, and wet, but still eager. The hand in her hair drifted down to her nape to tangle in the locks.

Gaara growled against her mouth once more, biting down on her lip to tug on it. Her breathing quivered at the attention, feeling his fangs sink into her flesh pleasantly rather than painfully. She tilted her head so that he could kiss her even deeper, and he surprisingly took that chance rather quickly.

The redhead left himself open and vulnerable, his body relaxing further as her fingers lightly scratched at the nape of his neck.

'He'll snap out of it any minute now.' At the thought she nibbled gently at his lower lip, forcing out a heated groan against her lips. His eyes widened at his carelessness, pulling away with a start he panted with alert.

'Got him.' The pinkette cheered inwardly over her small victory.

"You tricked me..." He blinked at her wildly before furrowing his naked brows. She was worried that he may have realized her initial plan, but in the end he seemed to have it skewed. "They told you to do this, didn't they? Thinking that I'd fall to the calls of a bitch in heat-!"

"No one told me to do anything, and you started this of your own accord. I couldn't do anything to stop you, so don't you dare blame me-!"

CRACK.

The burning sting on her cheek had tears welling up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. He may have looked lean, but he struck hard. She looked at the wall finding herself unable to turn her head at the moment.

She wanted to die, why wouldn't he just kill her already?

Suddenly she could hear the unmistakable sound of heaving breaths signaling some sort of breakdown. A wave of relief hit her knowing she was going to die for sure, but at least she would go before any damage was done.

"I'm so tired... why won't it just..." Gaara started to whisper, and for some reason it sounded as if he was talking to himself. His tone was mournful, and it had her feeling strange. "I'm so tired of this. It keeps hurting in my chest... but I don't know why. I love only myself, so why does it hurt?! I'm not bleeding, but there is pain! I'M SICK OF IT!"

Sand started to whip around the room violently, and it cut at Sakura's skin. With her bonds loosened she pulled her shirt back down, and curled into a ball.

Something had gone terribly wrong, he was supposed to kill her. What was happening-?

"EVERYONE HATES ME! I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE! EVEN WHEN THEY THROW PEOPLE AT MY FEET THEY COWER AWAY WITH THEIR TAILS BETWEEN THEIR LEGS! GUTLESS BASTARDS!"

Suddenly everything clicked. She realized that he was very much alone, and possibly frightened. He was scaring people to test them, and killing them if they gave in. There was a man underneath the monster, but he was hiding because it was safe there.

This beast was making sense to her, and she was empathizing with him.

Before she could think she was up, and moving towards him as quickly as she could with the sand whipping at her. She could feel blood start to roll down her dusted flesh, but she ignored it as best as she could in able to reach the crazed man in front of her.

If she could just get him to wake up, and see that he was human perhaps things could change. Perhaps he could get her out of here.

"STOP!" Gaara snarled at her viciously as her hands came towards him first, but when her body formed against his own the storm slowed. Everything seemed to stop, and the sand fell everywhere as there was no more will to hold it.

She won.

"If you're tired... then rest. I won't hurt you-"

"LIAR!" The redhead growled, yet his arms still seemed to cling to her frame. The former kunoichi ran her fingertips through his red hair to soothe him.

'He needs someone to hold him gently... I don't think he understands what it feels like...' She mused to herself as she felt him nuzzle into the crook of her neck. His breath heaved against her raw skin, alerting her to his degrading emotional state.

"No more pain... hush now... ssh..." She continued to pet him, and eventually she felt his muscles relax under her ministrations. He breathed hard against her shoulder, and for a moment she felt a wetness there that made her aware to the fact that he was crying.

'The beast... cries...' That fact startled her more than she thought it would.

"I'll kill you-" He weakly threatened.

"Stop. No more, Gaara. I can't hurt you so there is no point. Let it go." Sakura whispered gently, and his body relaxed further.

She held him like this for hours.

Occasionally he would fight her, stating that he wasn't safe or that it was pointless, but she continued to practically mother him until he would settle down again. Back and forth this went on, but she would always win with gentleness.

At some point she started to fall asleep, and her body began to slide off of him. When he caught her she ended up jolting. He adjusted her for a moment, and she was certain that her was trying to shake her awake. Yet her head was suddenly pressed against his chest with his heart beating strongly beneath it.

For some reason she hummed pleasantly, as if she had missed the sound of a person's heart. She began slipping again, only this time she knew she would not wake again for at least a few hours. Her body had reached its limit.

She could only pray that he was merciful enough to let her live for now, and not take advantage of her.

\- ... - ...

A cold water wake-up call is not exactly the best way to be roused from sleep, but it seemed that the guard wanted her to be completely awake. That or perhaps he was checking to see if she was still alive.

Sakura's body tightened at the shock, the burning room in comparison to the freezing water felt so odd, and awful. She felt all her aches, pains, cuts, and bruises pulse with inflammation forcing her to grit her teeth. She trembled afterwards both out of pain, and the cold.

"Lord Gaara wants you up, so stay awake girl." The plain faced guard hissed before moving back towards the hall. "You have bread and water by the door. Sorry, you don't get requests for last meals-"

"Why don't you take that disgusting moldy bread, and shove it up your ass!" The pinkette seethed before spitting at the man. The saliva didn't go far enough to hit him, but he was insulted enough to make his way back into the room.

He slammed the door behind him.

"It seems I'll have to teach you some manners before Lord Gaara returns." The nameless man stormed forward, taking out his kunai with a threatening gaze.

Sakura was already completely weak, and she knew fighting him without a weapon was no option. Scrambling to the back of the room past some stacked crates she found a sharp piece of wood.

"You think that will hurt me?!" The guard grabbed her shoulder, and as he pulled her to turn she used that momentum to stab the piece into his blocking forearm. He gave a harsh cry, and she took it as her cue to run past him.

'Chance!'

The pinkette misjudged this man's recovery, as he quickly grabbed her still wet arms. She slipped out of his grip for a moment only to lose her balance, falling onto a crate that splintered into her hip. She screamed in pain, and the distraction had the man on her with a knife to her throat.

"You fucking bitch!" The ninja seethed, digging the kunai into her skin. With a slight pop she felt it puncture, the pain white hot as it pulsed up through her temples.

Sakura knew she was crying, and she knew she was screaming, but these were only natural responses for her body. It hurt, but she knew it would be over soon.

She didn't realize how right she was.

"Sand coffin." A rasped tone seemed to break through the chaos, and the last she saw of the guard was his ghostly expression before it became encased in sand.

The pinkette watched blurrily as the twitching form on top of her seemed to explode... or perhaps implode. For some reason the blood sprayed backwards rather than over her person, and it was possibly the most frightening thing she had ever seen.

When she thought about it, she had never actually watched Gaara kill anyone. She was present for his fight with Rock Lee, and the only injuries he sustained was to his arm and leg. She never saw what actually happened when he finally squeezed those pale fingers shut with true intent to kill.

Now she knew, and she understood why people were horrified of his power.

Sakura felt her form suddenly get dragged away from the bloody scene. Her eyes still locked in horror on the wet red sand that slithered about the room. Almost as if the sand was cleaning up the mess-

"He injured you." Gaara murmured softly, pressing his silky fingers against the deep yet not fatal cut on her neck. Her head was in his lap now, and her view was of his porcelain face looking down at her.

He looked furious.

"I should have ripped him apart slowly, I didn't realize that he actually cut you."

Was that supposed to be some sort of apology? A display of some sort of twisted chivalry, fighting for a maiden's honor? Her form remained in shock over it all, but she surmised that it was also from the fact that she had been starved, abused, and not allowed much rest in between.

The redhead tilted his head this way and that, examining her carefully. Finally when he made some sort of decision he hoisted her up, and sat her between his legs like he had yesterday. She could feel his strong heartbeat on her back, only this time it wasn't racing.

"I don't want it to get infected." Gaara murmured softly next to her ear making her shiver at his breathy tone. While it seemed like a sweet gesture she could tell that he was just trying to be careful with her. He tilted her head with care, and she let him expose her wound clearly feeling that he had no intent to actually harm her.

It was strange that she suddenly felt such trust in him when just yesterday he had such ill will towards her.

Sakura jolted when she felt warm lips against her still damp skin, his soft tongue dragged across the bleeding wound. Not only that, but he lapped at the blood that had traveled down her neck as well. Luckily the blood hadn't poured down her front since during the time of the attack she had been pinned on her back, but it did feel strange having him lift up her hair, and lick from her shoulder blades to the nape of her neck.

The pinkette hated herself when a shiver broke out amongst her whole frame, and she wondered just how sick in the head she was to actually find the action somewhat pleasant. He seemed to pause whenever it would happen, but after a second or two he would continue to lick her clean.

This wasn't sanitary, she knew that much.

"I don't think... this is safe." Sakura's voice croaked forcing her to wince in both discomfort and embarrassment. Yet her captor seemed to not care even as he took a break to speak.

"My saliva is different than yours." That was all the redhead said before he went back over to her wound. She inhaled through her teeth at the pain it caused, but eventually the pain began to dull, and she was growing dizzy. Her body started to really lean against him while her head lolled onto his shoulder, forcing him to break away from her lacerated skin. "Are you dying?"

The way he asked was so calm, and curious. It were as if death was the most casual thing in the world for him, and watching people pass away was like watching paint dry. She swallowed, feeling a bit numb.

"I don't know..." The pinkette answered him honestly, her heart was beginning to pulse slowly for some odd reason. His form felt so warm behind her, and she found it oddly comforting.

"Are you afraid?" Gaara asked a bit more intrigued, and while that fact had her also more interested she was in a state where her body was deciding to give up.

She knew the answer, but it still hurt her to say it.

"No." Sakura whispered this time, her head growing thoroughly fuzzy. Why all of a sudden was she feeling like this? She knew she wasn't bleeding out-

"The kunai. It's laced with a sedative." Suddenly she was in his 'nest', how she got from his arms to there she didn't know. He was leaning over her, and oddly brushing hair delicately out of her face. "Only I can kill you. You're mine."

The pinkette nodded, barely even understanding what he was saying yet hearing it crystal clear. He seemed to smirk at that, but not in a sinister way like she had thought he would.

"I should have sedated the girls before you, I like your compliance." The redhead leaned in to study her, then as his hand accidentally brushed her hip he seemed to notice the wood splinters sticking out.

Sakura saw sand moving above her, and felt it slither over her body, but she couldn't move her head to see. She felt the grains move against the wound, taking out each splinter from the large spikes all the way to the microscopic slivers. After the grains left her she felt the familiar heat and wetness of a tongue against the wounds.

It frightened her to think about it, but her body would barely react let alone give her the focus to do anything. He licked at the sensitive area, and his hand crossed over to hold onto her waist. It was almost nurturing, yet it felt ultimately twisted.

"You'll live. However I think it might scar. I'd rather it didn't though." Gaara was leaning over her again, blood still clinging to his lips. Time had jumped once more, but the effects of drugs like these were most definitely the cause. "I said I didn't like your eyes... I lied. They remind me of a person I loved once. I crushed him to death, but I didn't want to."

That sentence was so odd, it came out of nowhere. She started to wonder if he was slipping into some sort of a psychotic episode. His face came closer, studying her pupils most likely.

Those eyes... they were soul sucking, yet hauntingly beautiful.

"Yashamaru, he was my uncle, my dead mother's twin. He said he loved me, but then he tried to murder me. I had no choice... I had no choice, Yashamaru..." The redhead moved her hair out of her face, his expression filled with pain and longing.

He no longer looked like a beast, he looked like a man in mourning.

"I was only six... and you tried to kill me... you said you hated me...Yashamaru!" Gaara's fist went into her hair, clenching the semi-long pink strands painfully. He was shaking violently, his breath quaking with rage.

Who was this injured man? Why did his heart hurt so much? She asked herself these questions as her hand managed to move just the slightest, grazing his arm with the back of her fingertips. The tiny motion startled him enough that he not only gasped but his body jolted.

'He's so scared...' It was true, his eyes looked absolutely fearful right when her fingers stroked his arm, as if the touch was meant to kill him somehow.

"I'm sorry." Sakura spoke with an almost inaudible quietness. His expression looked so broken, and confused over it.

She had meant to apologize for touching him, but he seemed to have taken the words far deeper than she could imagine. With a tight breath he placed his head over her heart, and cried silently.

Was it a dream? She didn't know how much was real before she finally blacked out. 

\- …. - ….. -

The redhead clutched at her frame desperately, his tears wetting her dirtied clothes.

He knew she wasn't Yashamaru, but to hear a genuine apology from someone was a first for him. It rang through him like a tolling bell, forcing the reminder that he was indeed a human being.

This woman apologized to him after he had left her in pieces, he could see her mirroring his pain for just the briefest of moments. She had held him in a time of vulnerability, and while he cared for her injuries she still managed to feel his sorrow over her own.

What was she? Was she some sort of goddess in human form? Perhaps a reincarnation of the love his mother might have held for him...

Wishful thinking at its finest. He knew she was simply delirious, however he wasn't one to judge on such things. He knew delirium like an old friend.

Sakura had passed out, and he used that to his advantage. His pale hands roamed her frame innocently, and hugged her to him like a heavy blanket. She seemed to mold in his arms to whatever way he held her, and he felt a warmth blossom in his chest over how well she formed to him. Draping her unconscious body in his arms he held her like a bride, savoring her warmth as her head lolled against his chest.

"I won't let anyone have you... mother..." Gaara murmured as he began rubbing his cheek against her own like a cat rubbing its scent on a post. He nuzzled his face into her silky pink hair, breathing in her feminine scent. "Sister... friend... mate..."

He couldn't place a proper term on her, so he rambled out all the words that he found attachment to. She could be all these things if he wanted, so he decided that she would fill whatever hole he had inside his chest in whatever way he deemed suitable.

The redhead stood up, carrying her like a ragdoll in his strong arms. He decided that she needed to be in his quarters, and that real medical attention should be administered.

\- ... - ...

Gaara watched them work like a mother wolf entrusting its pup to strangers. He placed himself against a wall with his arms crossed, eyeing every piece of equipment they used on her.

The majority of the work involved chakra repair to her skin, but there were other things involved including the administration of needles and fluid bags. Apparently the pinkette had been dehydrated, malnourished, and frighteningly fatigued on top of the wounds she had received.

Guilt slipped in, and he honestly hadn't felt that emotion in a very long time. He would try to make it up to her somehow.

They started to cleanse her of blood and dirt, but as they began to lift her shirt he ended up snarling. The medical staff halted their work fearfully as he bared his teeth at them.

"Get away from her, you have done enough!" The redhead seethed before crossing the room, they all scattered away from her unconscious form as he approached his bed. His fingers ran through her hair in a way that could be considered loving, and with another growl the medics scurried out of the room fearing for their lives. "No one can see you like that... no one but me-"

"If you're planning on courting her I'd say that you should probably take a bath first." The sound of his older sister's voice broke his train of thought. The hand in Sakura's hair twitched before leaving her alone, and he turned to address the other woman in the room.

"You shouldn't be so forward." Gaara narrowed his eyes at the blonde in the doorway, but she simply smiled.

"You should listen to a woman's advice if you want to connect with one. You stink of blood, and no offense but that's not very attractive." Temari laughed slightly, but it did nothing to ease his permanently raw nerves.

However, she did have a point. She was his only insight to what females found desirable. Whether that desire lay in a mate, a brother, a father... it didn't really matter. His sister most likely held all the answers to what women wanted.

"Any other advice?" The redhead murmured, gaining a rather curious expression from the blonde.

"You really like her-?"

"'Like' is a strong word, I'm merely intrigued." Gaara interjected, pushing his point quite strongly to avoid confusion. His sister blinked in awe over it.

"Um... yeah. Just shower, and be very delicate with her. She's fragile. Also, don't get too upset if she's not into you right away... these things take time." Temari seemed to blush for a moment, although he didn't understand why.

After a moment of silence she finally nodded, and wished him luck before leaving the room. As the door clicked shut he looked over towards his new companion.

Sakura lay peacefully in his bed, resting away the damage he had inflicted on her.

"I'm sorry." The redhead whispered, and then decided to take his sister's advice for once. He entered his bathroom, and turned on the shower that he barely used.

It wasn't like he was truly dirty, like a chinchilla he was quite used to dust baths. His sand exfoliated him wonderfully enough for daily hygiene, but the blood that caked his skin and hair would still get stuck on him if he wasn't too diligent. He wasn't used to water, but he also wasn't completely foreign to the idea either. He had showered before, he just hadn't in a long time.

Gaara turned on the hot water, and stepped in fully clothed. The red that mixed into the stream flowing down the drain made him wince slightly. He was nose blind to the blood, but looking at it now made him frightfully aware of just how much he must have smelled of metallic death.

The water felt rather nice, and he peeled out of the drenched fabric that clung to his pale skin. He knew Sakura would probably be more accepting of his presence if he smelled more like soap than like blood, so lathering up was essential.

Part of him wanted to laugh over the effort he was going through to be more appealing to a girl, but another part of him craved for her affection. She had held him so gently that he never wanted her to stop, and if doing this meant that she would hold him in such a way again then he would do it in a heartbeat.

At that thought he hurried through the rest of his shower. Something about being close to her had him rushing to finish just so he could go back to watching her. He rinsed, shut off the tap, and toweled off before going to his closet.

The redhead opted for comfort, but still sported the normal shinobi qualities to his outfit. The standard netted shirt was in place underneath a black t-shirt, and a pair of black slacks were donned as well.

Making his way out of the closet he approached her unconscious form on the bed. Her face was scrunched up, revealing a nightmare to be in progress.

"Don't... leave me... please..." Sakura whimpered in her sleep. He answered her call by sitting on her bedside, and leaning towards her gently.

"I wont leave you." Gaara murmured just above a whisper before taking her clammy hand in his. She was sweating, and that worried him. The pinkette had to be in good health, he would accept no other state for her.

"Sasuke... Naruto... Kakashi-sensei..." A tear rolled down her cheek before she began to calm back down into a deeper sleep.

The redhead knew these people she spoke of. He remembered their faces almost instantly as his mind pieced together every instance he had experienced with them. Negative they may be, he knew she loved these people.

Sasuke especially, she had risked her life to save him, and Gaara's jealousy punished her for it.

At that thought he sighed, finding all these regurgitated emotions too taxing. Slipping away from her he wandered over to a chair in the corner, opting to sit there to watch over her instead of hovering like a cautious parent.

He was already too attached to her, but he couldn't stop himself. For the first time in ages he genuinely wanted to connect with someone, and for any reason at all.

Loneliness... it pissed him off that he still felt it.

Sakura began to stir, and he wondered how she would react to him being in the same room as her. Would she be afraid of him now? After all he had put her through he assumed the answer would be a very stern 'yes'.

She looked wearily about herself for a moment, not noticing his still form sitting in the corner. She reached for a glass of water, and began chugging the liquid.

"You'll make yourself ill if you drink too fast." The redhead stated calmly enough, but still regretted saying anything when her head whipped towards him like an alerted deer to a hungry wolf.

Their eyes met for a moment, but the she curiously looked him over. Her jade orbs burned his image, tracing every inch of him in a sort of daze. It had him feeling a bit self conscious...

"You're staring at me." As Gaara grumbled he noticed the warm flush to her cheeks at his discovery. Her hands wrung in her lap anxiously before she ended up looking away from him.

"I'm sorry-" Her voice cracked, and her hands went to her chords to touch them with a wince. With an bashful whimper she tried hiding herself in her pillow, as if the sickness would disappear with enough willpower.

However, the redhead could care less about her pride. Suddenly he was on the move making his way to her bedside with the idea of helping her in some way. He hadn't realized just how sick she had become.

"I stand corrected, you're already sick." Gaara peered down at her while she peered up, and without warning he lowered his face down towards her own. Her fear was evident, and as their foreheads touched she closed her eyes tightly to avoid him. As much as that hurt him he still let it slide. "You have a fever."

Sakura opened her eyes with curiosity, and to his delight her irises stared right into his own. The details to her jade orbs were far more stunning then he had initially realized, he could stare into them forever.

The pinkette finally turned her face to the side, but this only revealed her soft hair to his nostrils. He reveled in her scent, breathing slowly to memorize her.

"Even though you're sick your scent is not offensive." The redhead spoke just above a whisper. As her form shivered underneath him he licked his lips on instinct. He wanted so badly just to hold her.

She said nothing, and he felt that reassuring her was best.

"I think I like being around you. Your presence... is comforting..."

A small hitch of breath came over her, and her body clenched up tightly. This wasn't how he wanted her to react around him. She needed to know that he meant her no harm.

Gaara lifted her blankets, and slipped in beside her trembling form. As her muscles tightened further he smoothed his hands around to embrace her waist before burying his face in her hair. As she turned her whole figure away from him he pulled her flush to him, molding his front against her back.

Sakura's heart was beating rapidly for the longest time, and she tried fighting the fatigue that was claiming her as well as his embrace.

"Let me hold you." The redhead ordered, pulling her even closer to him. He noticed how hot her body had become, and it warmed him almost painfully. He could feel every inch of her against him, and it was making him tingle with a foreign feeling.

Her body tensed suddenly, but why?

"You're so warm... you're burning..." He nuzzled his face up to her ear, letting out a relaxed exhale against the shell of it. A light tremble escaped her, and he could feel her entirety move against him.

Remembering some of his sister's words, Gaara tried soothing the pinkette by petting her arms gently. His fingertips savored her smooth skin from her wrist to her shoulder, dragging against the flesh with a feather soft touch. As she began to relax he felt himself smile, which was a rarity for him.

"Sleep..." The redhead whispered in a near inaudible fashion, feeling his own peace as she let out a contented sigh. After a while he rotated her arm so that he could stroke the soft underside of her palm, wrist, and forearm. It was so incredibly soft, in fact her skin was almost softer than his own.

Sakura's soft breathing let him know she had reached a pleasant slumber, and it warmed him to know that he could do that for her.

A soft knock at the door alerted him, and with an irritated huff he left her side to attend to whatever business was calling. His gate was long as he closed the distance to the door, swinging it open with a glare.

"What." Gaara hissed more than what was usual for him, but Baki remained undeterred by it.

"The rebels didn't appreciate your gift, some of them have decided to stalk the border. I need you to take care of them." The jounin remained apathetic, as was the usual interaction between them.

For the first time in a long while, the redhead actually rolled his eyes as he slipped the strap to his gourd over his head.

"I'll leave no more gifts then. Unappreciative bastards." He pushed past his sensei with a grumble before stalking down the hall.

He would have to make this quick.

\- ... - ... -

The blood was dripping down his frame, he had been careless in the slaughter.

The ninja on the border had been part of the leaf's resistance, and they hardly held up a fight. However, he had met up with an old acquaintance.

Rock Lee, the boy who had at one time kept Gaara on his toes was now fighting again. Imagine that. However, it was still easy to knock the now young man down regardless of how far he had come in his taijutsu.

Little did Lee know that the redhead had also been practicing taijutsu, the master of sand had become frightfully aware of the fact that his ultimate defense was not impregnable due to said 'green' ninja. The look on Lee's face when he had figured that one out was rather priceless.

Surprisingly, Gaara had left him alive. He told the Lee to go back to wherever it was he came from, and to tell his people to scatter into the wind like the fallen leaves they were. The redhead had no more desire to fight them, and wished for them to go off to find new lives somewhere else for a change.

He knew his words had come off somewhat passive after the brutal slaughter he had committed in front of his old enemy, but he wasn't one to really care about his standing or his pride. He just didn't want to deal with them anymore.

Perhaps it was the fact that Sakura was at one time a leaf kunoichi, and he did not want to cause her pain anymore. He knew deep down that if she found out he was slaughtering her former kin this way she would probably end up crying.

He didn't want her to cry.

"Ah, Gaara! Just the little brother I was looking for!" Kankuro was suddenly walking towards the redhead down one of the kage halls. As he came into a clearer view of his kin he noticed the puppet master begin to grow anxious. "Woah... I see we've been fighting this evening-"

"You can tell Baki that the rebels on the border are dead, I left one alive to tell the rest of the resistance to leave. I'm done with this shit." Gaara sighed wearily before looking at the floor, his body ached from overexertion and no form of rest.

When no answer came, he looked up curiously to see his brother gawking at him.

"What?" The redhead furrowed his naked brows, getting a rather sporadic reaction out of the puppet master.

"Ah! Uh... well... it's just unlike you to be merciful, let alone lose the will to fight." Kankuro scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously as he looked anywhere but at his baby brother.

"Just do as I say. I don't want anyone to call on me for a while, if there's a problem then settle it yourselves." Gaara huffed one last time before turning tail to go to his quarters.

"Gaara, hold on. About Sakura..." The older brother began, forcing the younger to stop in his tracks. "Is she still alive-?"

"That's none of your concern. Tend to your own women for once." The redhead hissed, and the silence behind him told him that there was nothing left to be said.

Gaara walked strongly through the building, gaining as much distance as possible from his nosey brother.

His mind went blank as he found his stairwell, and all he could feel was his blood drenched clothes tugging at his skin roughly with their sticky residue.

The redhead felt numb, blank, tired, and empty. It was the same thing day in day out, bodies piling up to be grinded into nothing but blood.

He was sick of it. Nothing felt good anymore, not even the thrill of a good kill was enough to keep him going. He felt like the walking dead.

Gaara entered his room to find it vacant, and while he would have panicked he felt nothing. His ghostly orbs gazed lifelessly around the room until he heard the sound of running water.

A shower. That's what he needed right now. Without thinking he opened the bathroom door, stepping in unceremoniously to find the shower curtain shut. His hand came up to the dark blue fabric to slide it open abruptly.

He heard her scream with fright, but he still couldn't feel anything. He just stood there, dripping blood onto the floor.

"Oh my god, are you hurt!?" Sakura's concern sounded genuine. It called out to him like a siren's song beckoning him into the water.

Without a word the redhead stepped into the stream fully clothed, not even registering her nakedness.

Gaara wanted desperately to wake up from this nightmare he called his 'life'.

He needed help. 


	3. Chapter 3

Soft, silky, and cool fabric seemed to surround her. She rolled in it, finding it so soothing against her feverish skin. Sakura felt it, the aches of a heavy fever coming on. What a perfect time to stress herself sick.

The pinkette opened her mouth for a moment, but it was so horribly dry. Wincing as she opened her eyes to daylight she noticed she was no longer in that dirty room with boarded windows, but rather a nicely furnished bedroom with stone walls. She tried sitting up, but her body protested greatly. Next to her on the nightstand was a glass of water, and she drank it so greedily that a little bit dripped down her chin.

"You'll make yourself ill if you drink too fast."

The cup almost slipped from her hand as she whipped her head to face him. She wasn't expecting to see him in broad daylight like this, let alone in a nice living area.

Gaara sat in a chair in the corner of the room, sporting clean clothes, and what seemed to be freshly washed hair. He was calm, relaxed even, which was unlike him.

This felt... odd. He seemed so normal looking the way he did. The black t-shirt and cargo pants seemed to only push this fact. The only thing that still made him look like a ninja was the netting running down his forearms underneath the shirt.

"You're staring at me." The redhead withered with irritation. She ended up blinking out of it with a burn to her cheeks, she most certainly had not meant to be visually dissecting him. It was just so strange to see him looking so... human.

"I'm sorry-" At the sound of her croaking voice she immediately put her hands to her throat. It was confirmed, she really must be sick. With a painful groan she laid back down, and tried hiding in the pillow under her head. She didn't even hear him move.

"I stand corrected, you're already sick." Suddenly he was right next to her bedside, and his proximity made her nearly jump out of her skin. Her jade eyes peeped at him wearily from behind the pillow, and eventually widened as his face came frighteningly close to her own. With a gasp his forehead touched hers, causing her to close her eyes tightly as she waited for some sort of impending doom. "You have a fever."

Sakura opened her eyes with curiosity, however his face was still painfully close to her own. All she could see were his foggy aqua eyes, and the darkness that surrounded them.

Why wasn't he moving away? It was so invasive being forced to look nowhere but into his haunting gaze. Her heart started beating strangely, as if it weren't even her own body controlling it.

' "I said I didn't like your eyes... I lied. They remind me of a person I loved once. I crushed him to death, but I didn't want to." '

At that thought she felt her heart start to break, the memories had her wanting to start outwardly crying. She chose to bury it for the time being, but the idea of a loved one trying to kill her was too much to even imagine. Her captor had a past that certainly shaped who he is today, and she reminded herself not to judge a book by its cover. Even if that book was a frightening murder novel.

He didn't move away, he only continued to stare into her. The former kunoichi had to turn her face away just so she wouldn't breathe on him, but in return she could now hear him breathing softly with how close he was to her ear. His nose pressed into her hair, and took a deep inhale before exhaling through his mouth. The sound, as well as the sensation sent a nervous shiver throughout her whole body. It was such a animalistic thing to do, and for some reason it made her uncomfortable.

"Even though you're sick your scent is not offensive." Gaara spoke just above a whisper sending another bout of tingles down her spine. She also heard him wet his lips, as if she made his mouth go dry or perhaps he was hungry. "I think I like being around you. Your presence... is comforting..."

Sakura tensed, his breath was so warm fluttering against her ear, and his words alone were enough to make her stomach flip. He was so angry yesterday, and now he wanted to be around her. He was an absolute enigma.

Suddenly the redhead was curling up beside her, and the alarm bells began ringing wildly in her head. His hands snaked around her frame greedily while his face nuzzled against her hair. Her whole body tensed, but it was painful due to the fatigue. She could feel him molding against her, it was so strange that she tried turning away from him only to have her backside be pulled back to meet him once more.

Sakura tensed again, finding that she was now being forced into a rather intimate cuddling position with him right behind her. Yet his warmth, and his heartbeat was beginning to lull her sore body. Sleep was starting to fight with her, again, and she felt she was losing.

"Let me hold you." Gaara demanded with a lazy huff, pulling her even closer to him. His arms wrapping around her chest had her wanting to squirm, it was almost a passionate embrace, and far too familiar.

It was then that she felt her stomach churn, something was pressing against her backside making her frighteningly alert. She wanted to push him away, yet she knew that any effort to do so would immediately backfire. For now she accepted the invasive bedfellow, and prayed he wouldn't try to use it on her.

"You're so warm... you're burning..." Her captor nuzzled his face up to her ear once more, letting out a relaxed exhale so close to her ear.

The redhead seemed to be breathing calmly, but the way he was now stroking one of her arms told her that he was still awake. The touch was so light, and gentle, it was as if this young man was a completely different person laying behind her. His fingertips traced from the back of her hand all the way up to her shoulder in a soothing fashion, and she cursed the fact that it was calming her immensely.

"Sleep..." Gaara whispered, sending her into a state of tipping into darkness. He eventually rotated her arm so that he could stroke the soft underside of her palm, wrist, and forearm. It was hypnotic, and she quickly found herself blacking out to the sound of his calm breathing complimented with gentle touches.

\- ... - ...

Sakura awoke again, this time she was completely alone in the dark of night. She found an oil lamp burning next to her, giving her only one source of light. She swore there was electricity in this building, but she new they were frugal about such amenities.

Feeling a bit better she got out of bed to pad about the large room, taking the oil lamp with her. She looked through a closet, finding it to be filled with clothes that happened to be Gaara's size. Luckily he wasn't too much bigger than her, so she grabbed a pair of black soft martial arts pants, and a maroon long sleeved shirt.

The pinkette searched behind another door finding a bathroom, making her sigh with relief over the fact that she could take a shower now.

She held the light up to her reflection with a confused curiosity. Looking at herself in the mirror she noticed that her cuts, and bruises were gone. Someone must have tended to her wounds while she was asleep.

Well, Gaara had stated that he didn't want her skin to scar for some reason. For what reason was left unknown.

Sakura sighed, and stripped down. Every mar on her skin had been healed to near perfection. She looked thinner, which startled her a bit, but she didn't look completely malnourished.

The pinkette finally entered a stone shower, pulling the dark blue curtain shut. She turned the water on a higher heat than normal, allowing the steam to wash over her as well as the water. Her head leaned against the sandstone wall, and she savored its coolness.

It was different looking at all the sandstone while she cleaned off, yet it was also quite beautiful the way it changed color under water. She started to rinse her hair-

The curtain ripped open abruptly, revealing the strange young man that she was forced to spend so much time around. With a shriek she covered her body with her arms, but he seemed completely unphased by it.

Something was off, Gaara was completely out of it. His eyes were unfocused with a faraway stare, and his clothes seemed to already be wet-

The ground was red under his bare feet, and it was spreading. Panic filled her to the brim, yet it was surprisingly over the thought that he had taken damage this evening.

"Oh my god, are you hurt!?" The pinkette surprised herself at her concern over his welfare. Since when did she actually care about what happens to this monster?

The redhead ignored her, and stepped into the shower. She backed away from him cautiously while he stepped into the stream of hot water. As it ran over his head a wash of crimson came out of his hair, out of his shirt, his pants, everything. He must have been soaked in it, and the pungent metallic smell was enough to make her almost vomit.

"Let's get this off of you, it's soiled." Sakura didn't understand it, but she was taking the initiative to strip him of his shirt. She peeled the garment off when he compliantly raised up his arms, then wrung it out to release the blood.

There was so much red that poured out, and it unfortunately covered her freshly cleaned body. With a groan she continued to rinse out the shirt until it ran clear. She tossed the shirt up onto the curtain rail to hang, and turned her eyes back to her captor.

He was noticeably toned under his netted top, the muscles were so nicely cut that they had her blinking with surprise. She hadn't noticed when she was trapped in that other room with him, but it was apparent now that he had some good genetics.

'He's really not bad looking, it's just a shame he's so bonkers...'

Without thinking her hands went to his pants that were starting to hang on his hips due to the waterlogged fabric. As she undid the first button his hands molded over her wrists. She looked up to see his eyes studying her in disbelief, blinking with confusion.

"Why are you doing that?" Gaara asked with suspicion, at the tone she immediately went to retract her hands only to find that he had a hard grip on them.

This was a mistake, she was making it out to seem like she was some sort of pervert. However, that was definitely not the case.

"Their filthy, Gaara. You wont get clean while wearing bloody clothes." The pinkette turned her head bashfully. "I wasn't trying anything-"

"It's fine. Just finish it." The redhead placed her hands back where he had found them rather quickly, and it made her flush head to toe over how intimate it was having him guide her hands to touch him. He waited with his lips pressed in a thin line, but she could tell from the expression that his patience was already quite thin. "Do it."

She startled at his light bark, and swayed on her feet nervously.

"O-okay." Sakura swallowed hard, no longer did she feel the mothering intent that she carried before. Now it had turned down a much darker street, but the fact remained that the bloody clothes were far more disgusting in comparison to the awkwardness of stripping him down.

The former kunoichi carefully unfastened his pants leaving her to witness grey boxer-briefs underneath. She had to kneel in able to pull the garment all the way down, and he stepped out of them graciously. Her eyes focused only on the pants instead of the intimidating area at eye level.

'Don't look. Don't look. Don't look.'

With all her will power she ignored him, and stood to perform the process she had done with the shirt. The blood covered her like a horror movie, and unfortunately left trails of red down her naked body as if pointing out the fact that she was indeed nude.

'I can't believe I'm even staying in here with him, I should have just gotten out...'

With another sigh she hung up the pants, and jumped when a netted shirt was practically slapped over the rail next to her hand. Looking over, she found her captor to be completely bare as his underwear was halfway down his thighs.

Sakura had never turned her head so fast in her life, and she found herself huddling over to the corner of the shower. She tried hiding her face in the junction between walls, and let her wet hair shade her eyes even further. What happens now? What were his plans for her? Should she try running?

Fingers went into her hair making her tense up, but the curious thing about it was the sudden smell.

White sage, cedar, aloe, and some sort of herbal floral. She could hear, and feel the lather against her scalp as his fingers moved throughout her pink locks.

He was... washing her.

"Blood... it was in your hair..." Gaara murmured softly, but did not stop his movements. His hands eventually left her scalp to run down her naked frame, smoothing the soapy foam over every inch of her skin. She squeaked, and curled in on herself when he reached her breasts, but he forced through the awkward stance to finish what he was determined to do. When his invasive hands went for her groin she began to pull at his wrists, however his strength was still overpowering her still weakened form. "Stop fighting me."

At the sound of his authoritative tone she conceded knowing that he would probably do something worse if she didn't let him do as he pleased. His fingers rubbed, and lathered what little bit of soap he had left on them. He worked down her legs, then up again to go back between her thighs. She tried turning her body away from him, but he was persistent.

"Stop." The redhead barked at her, but she continued to try to evade his touch. Growing impatient he flipped her around to face him, causing her to yelp with fear. His eyes seemed hurt. "Stop... please..."

'Please? Did he really just say 'please'?' The pinkette blinked at him in disbelief, and was even more confused when his hands reached for hers. He squeezed a bit of soap into her palm before placing the container back off to the side, then he guided her hands up into his red hair.

'He wants me to wash him?' Her hands instinctively scrunched in his red locks, and as she came to realize that he wasn't going to try anything else she began working the soap into a thick lather.

Her captor would lean his head this way, and that way to press her fingers further onto his scalp until she finally noted just how firmly he wanted to be scrubbed. His eyes slowly closed as he hummed with contentment.

This man who was at times a frightening beast was now as innocent as a purring kitten. It almost made her giggle thinking about how he would look with a pair of cat ears.

'Sakura, he's not a pet. Just do this for him and get the hell out.' She scolded herself for thinking lightly of the situation.

Her hands started to travel to his neck, shoulders, collar, chest, ribs, back, and abdomen. She gently washed him, massaging as she went as well to try to keep him relaxed. However she was disturbed by the red foam that started to appear the more she went at it. She had almost forgotten about the smell of blood hiding under the scent of the soap, and the red tint was an eerie reminder.

Her hands stopped at his hips, and it was enough to draw him out of his peaceful reverie.

"Something wrong?" Gaara asked softly, almost shyly if one were to dissect it more. Her jade eyes flicked up to meet his, and she wore an expression of worry on her face.

"I can't... go further." Sakura started to blush at the thought of it, and she had been adamantly keeping her hands and eyes away from the dangerous territory. Suddenly his hand came up, and pressed over her eyes to put her in darkness.

The pinkette panicked, breathing harshly yet did nothing to move out of the blinding grip.

She felt him take her hand, attempting to guide her forward even though she was now trying to pull away.

"Don't think." Right as he said those words her hand molded against his groin. She let out a small whimper of discomfort as he forced her hand to smooth over his genitals.

'Oh no... oh no no no...' Her anxiety went through the roof. There were smooth parts, plush parts, and a strange texture that let her know that she had reached the tip of him. Thankfully he wasn't exactly 'hard', although she felt that might change soon.

He pulsed in her hand, making her yelp in surprise while he stifled a small breathy laugh. When she thought her face would explode from the shame of it he forced her hands down his thighs until they could no longer reach without her having to kneel.

Surprisingly his skin with the exception of his head, and unfortunately to her newfound knowledge his nether region, had no hair to be found. His pale flesh was softer than she could imagine, and she wondered if that's why he looked so flawless.

'The man surrounds himself in sand all the time, of course it would rub all the delicate hairs off.' The former kunoichi mused to herself as her hands continued to glide across his skin. However, it was then that she noticed that he was no longer guiding her, and that her hands were merely stroking along his hips and waist mindlessly. With a small gasp she pulled her traitorous hands back to cross over her chest, imagining him watching her work like some sort of slave girl.

That's what she was though, wasn't she? His slave? Or perhaps he viewed her a step above that now, carrying the title of a pet. That sounded much more mischievous though, and she didn't know if she liked that.

The steam of the shower as well as the situation was starting to overheat her, so she leaned back against the cool wall behind her. He seemed to follow in step, keeping his hand over her eyes to kill her sense of sight.

A hand on the small of her back left her trembling, anticipating the worst as he finally pulled his other hand away from her eyes. The moment the light blinded her she felt the weight of his head on her shoulder, and his arm pulled her tightly against him.

Sakura could feel every inch of her captor, and it should have worried her, but for some reason right now it didn't. When he gave a shaking exhale she could tell that his intentions were actually quite innocent.

The hug was tight, almost painful as well as embarrassing, but she could tell that he was just desperate for affection. Just like the other night when she began to soothe him, stroking his hair while his breath quaked against the crook of her neck. At one point he had placed his lips on her neck, but went no further than that. He simply nuzzled, and breathed painfully.

' "He said he loved me, but then he tried to murder me. I had no choice... I had no choice, Yashamaru..." ' Those words echoed in her head, along with the ones that followed. His hold on her was desperate, and afraid.

'I wonder if he's ever had someone hold him like this before. Has he ever cried with someone? Has he ever held hands? Fallen asleep next to anyone-?' She was quickly reminded that he didn't sleep, and that fact made her heart hurt for him even more. No rest, no time to get away from the pain... just a constant discomfort... constant hatred.

A living hell.

Gaara felt no love, so in return he gave no love. He turned into a monster because of how people treated him, and he hates them even more for fearing him.

'He's so much like Naruto...'

"Don't stop please." The redhead nudged her with his head forcing her to notice that she had stopped petting him. She almost had to laugh at his spoiled behavior, but of course he would be a glutton for affection, it made perfect sense as to why.

She continued, and pet him until her arms grew too sore to hold them up anymore. He had tried whining in protest, but then quickly regained his senses when he saw how exhausted she truly was.

They finished up quickly. He was the one to turn off the shower, and he even handed her a towel before he grabbed one for himself. Her eyes questioned him, and he simply looked away awkwardly.

'This must be strange for him. I'm sure he has nothing to go on for how to interact with people...' Sakura dried off before quickly dressing herself in his own clothes. As he wrapped a towel around his waist he seemed to notice her wardrobe.

"Those are mine..." Gaara stated it rather than accused, so she merely nodded in return.

"I had nothing else, I hope you don't mind me borrowing them." The pinkette wrung her hands, and also fidgeted. Every interaction between them was so horribly awkward, how could he even enjoy having her around?

"I don't mind... it's just odd seeing a woman wear my clothes." The redhead was soft spoken now, and wasted no time leaving the bathroom. She was a bit surprised by the odd behavior, but she chalked it up to lack of social experience.

The night went on like that, awkward and quiet, but when it was time to sleep he was there. Desperate for any nurturing she was willing to give.

She wasn't a love interest at the moment, so she was fine with taking a motherly role for the time being.

'It'll be okay, as long as it stays this way I can handle it.' Sakura thought to herself as she fell asleep in his arms once again.

\- …. - …

Another day of bloodshed.

Gaara had claimed he was done with this work, yet somehow he found himself out maiming again. Only this time it was torturing someone for information.

It went well enough, he got the info the council wanted, but it cost him his maroon duster.

Blood dripped onto the floor once again as he trailed down the hall back to his room. He was exhausted, and yet there was to be no rest as per usual.

However, Sakura would be there, and that always seemed to put him at ease.

The redhead entered the room without knocking, finding her to be sitting at the coffee table with a book in hand. He had brought her all sorts of books, any tome she desired he would place in her eager hands.

The pinkette looked up from her reading with a shy smile at first, but then it quickly dropped with concern.

"Again, Gaara? You should really be more careful." She scolded him before placing the book on the table. He watched her curiously as she walked his way, wearing one of his black shirts and-

Were those his boxers? He didn't really know how to feel about that one.

"Why are you wearing my underwear?" Gaara blinked at her as she came up to him, readying herself to tend to his blood soaked attire. She paused before placing her hands on him, and a bright blush came to her cheeks.

"I... didn't realize... I thought they were just compression shorts..." Sakura started to turn completely red, and her hands were suddenly fiddling with the hem of said clothing.

"I'm not upset, I was just curious. If you wish to wear them then you may do as you like." The redhead remained calm on the outside, but something about the idea of her wearing things that he had worn against his own body at one time usually had him feeling strange. This time, however, that feeling had grown tenfold just by the fact that he had worn that underwear just last week... and now it was touching her in the same area.

Why was he so warm all of a sudden? Strange...

"Ah! No, I'll go change!" The pinkette almost squeaked as she turned tail to go into the closet, but he snatched up her wrist before she could truly take flight.

"There's no need, they suit you just fine." Gaara spoke honestly. As odd as the feeling was he rather liked the warmth he felt from seeing her wear his things. It was similar to how he felt when he held her, when she'd pet his hair, or when he'd see her wearing nothing at all.

The latter had him feeling more hot than warm, and he wondered why her nakedness had that affect on him. His mind would grow curious, and the urge to touch her flooded him with impatience. It was why he would disturb her when she would change, or when she would bathe. He wanted to see and touch as much of her as he could, but he tried hard to remain delicate in such situations out of fear of scaring her away.

So he savored any small moment he had, sometimes he tried to make those moments happen on purpose. He didn't know why he craved it, but he did.

"It's... thank you, but... I can't wear these knowing-" Sakura's words were jumbled, occasionally stammering here and there as her hands continued to fiddle with the hem of his boxer briefs resting at the tops of her lean thighs. His eyes wandered down to them, watching her lithe fingers clench at the stretching fabric. "Let's just get you cleaned up, then I'll change. If you want, a nice maid brought a deck of cards for me. We can play a game if you'd like."

'A game?' His eyes came up to hers silently, and when he saw her hopeful expression he found himself unable to deny anything that she wanted.

She was so... beautiful. He understood why that was important to people now. Her appearance made him want to be close to her somehow just so he could continue looking at her.

They called it 'attraction'. He knew that much, and he knew it was something that was sought out in a romantic partner. However he didn't rightly know if he had that desire yet, yes he felt heated around her, and he wanted to touch her, but did he want to actually mate with her? That feeling was completely foreign, and he couldn't tell if that's what he actually wanted from her.

'When mating... the male inserts himself in the female... and tries to inject his seed. That doesn't sound very pleasant-' His thoughts were disrupted when she took his bloody hands, guiding him into the bathroom with her. He followed obediently, and once inside he allowed her to thumb at the blood soaked buttons on his maroon trench coat.

She was smiling to herself, but it was small and hardly noticeable if one didn't pay attention. Perhaps she secretly enjoyed bossing him around.

That was fine, he had decided. He enjoyed her authority over him, it made things a bit easier on him in the face of making any decisions. If he wanted to reassert his dominance he could easily do so, and they both knew that, but for right now there was no need.

'When would there be a need for dominance around her? She hasn't made me want to do such things.' At that thought his mind wandered to what he would actually order her to do if he desired something...

The idea of her undressing in front of him came to mind, as did forcing her to touch him gently. Why it was those particular things he couldn't find an answer, he just merely wanted to see her form... see her vulnerable.

The coat slipped off his arms revealing a black shirt underneath, and for a split second he caught her eyes wandering his frame. Most likely checking him for injuries, he surmised.

She placed the coat in a wicker basket, grimacing at the red liquid on her palms before turning to help him remove his shirt. Once that was over his head the same thing happened again, only a bit slower. Her eyes searched his pale skin, taking in his physical shape with a slight flush to her cheeks.

Maybe she felt similarly about him, like she wanted to see him without clothing. That was an interesting thought. As his hands went to his belt he watched her turn around shyly.

That part always had him curious, something about taking off his pants or seeing what was below the belt had her flustered. Yet he kind of liked her bashfulness, for some reason it made him feel powerful like his body was something greater than she could handle.

But he also wanted her to see him, to look at him the way he looked at her. He wanted her to have that strange desire to touch him too.

Gaara stripped down completely, stepping out of his clothes only to stand patiently for her to turn to collect them.

The silence was deafening, and finally her curiosity got the better of her when he did not hand over his clothes. As her face turned towards him her eyes widened, her cheeks reddened, and her fear took over as she quickly avoided her eyes before scrambling to grab the articles he left on the floor. In a rush she tossed them in the basket, and as she desperately went to escape he grabbed her by the arm.

"Gaara-!" Sakura squeaked as he pushed her up against the wall, the now dry blood on his hands crackled as he gripped into her shoulders. Her eyes shut tightly as her lip trembled, she seemed to be so fearful of this, but he had no intention of doing anything.

"Look at me." The redhead ordered in a low voice, and when her eyes peeped open her flush only worsened. Her breath quaked anxiously as her eyes remained locked onto his own.

As much as he liked her keeping eye contact, this wasn't what he wanted.

"No..." His hand grabbed her jaw, and the base of her neck gently. He began tilting her head down even though he felt her resisting. "Look at me..."

"Why?!" She squealed, and as if to soothe her his thumb circled against the point where her jaw met with her skull. His other hand ran his thumb along her throat with a loving touch. Her breath shook, exhaling sharply through her mouth as he forced her to take in his naked image.

"I have no desire to mate with you... I just want you to look." Gaara tried reassuring her, but she merely trembled under his hands. "What do you see-?"

"You're naked! That's what I fucking see!" Sakura's voice went raw, forcing a feeling of guilt to wash over him, but he remained strong in the face of shame.

"My body offends you?" The redhead questioned, and suddenly her shaking grew more violent. "Are you afraid?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you-?!" Even though her words hurt him, he still cared for her. He didn't want her to react this way over seeing him in such a state.

"I don't want you to be afraid. I want you to see that my nakedness will not harm you. My flesh is just that; flesh. Nothing more." His touch on her throat and jaw remained soft, and eventually he felt her relax. Her breathing slowed to a calmer state, and it almost had him smiling. "Just as I can look at you, I want you to be able to do the same-"

"That's perverted!" The pinkette argued, but did not bother fighting him physically. Yet her words had him confused, he wasn't trying to pressure her into intercourse. So why was it painted in that light?

"I already told you that I have no desire to act, so why is it that you can't look at me? Nothing will happen." Gaara tilted his head to the side, trying to see her eyes from under her pink locks. She shifted on her feet, but he couldn't see her expression.

"Well, what do you think when you see me naked? That should be enough of an explanation as to why I shouldn't be looking at you." Sakura sighed, and his curiosity took control as he finally lifted her head to look at her in the eyes. She was looking off to the side with a fierce blush, refusing now to make eye contact.

"I don't know what to think when I see you like that. I'm mostly... confused over it, but I don't mind it either." The redhead's words forced her to finally look his way, her expression incredulous.

"Don't play stupid! You're a man! Your main focus is to fucking breed!" The pinkette hissed at him, clearly insulted by his statement.

Although, her words hit at his ego, and that didn't sit well with him.

"How can I even begin to want such things if there is no availability for it? I wouldn't even begin to know how-" He tried to get her to understand, but she refused to hear him.

"It's instinctual! How can you not look at a naked woman and not want to go at it?! It doesn't matter if there's an available woman or not the urge is still there-!" She was yelling at him, pushing at buttons he didn't think he had.

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT URGE FEELS LIKE!" Gaara screamed inches away from her face, and not only saw but felt her recoil.

No, this wasn't how he had originally wanted this to go. He just wanted there to be some sort of mutual understanding-

"Are you telling me... you've never touched yourself before?" Sakura bit at him in disbelief, and he was shocked that she still had any fight in her.

His mind tinkered with her words, trying to decipher just what she had meant by it, and yet as his thought process went to work he watched curiously as her eyes widened at him.

That reaction... was odd.

"Oh, Gaara..." Suddenly her eyes went sad, and in response his brow furrowed.

What did he do? Did he mess up? Was he supposed to say or do anything?

"I'm so sorry... god it all makes sense-" The pinkette began, but everything just had him even more lost.

"I'm not following." The redhead shook his red hair, trying to get his brain to figure out what it was that she was implying to. "I'm so confused-"

"It's okay. Forget what I said... just go take a shower." Sakura pet his blood crusted hair, and he almost leaned into her touch.

"Come with me..." Gaara's eyes closed, wanting nothing more than for her to continue petting him. He heard her open her mouth to say something to him, but then retracted whatever statement that was initially there to formulate a different response.

Was this still an issue? They had done it before... so why not now? His eyes opened once more to find her biting her lip in thought

"I already took a shower today-" The pinkette looked off to the side again, avoiding him like the plague.

No, he needed her. He needed her to be around him even if she didn't make a single move or sound.

"Please." The redhead whispered in prayer to her, and when her lashes fluttered he felt he couldn't handle how thick they were. His hands were suddenly tugging at her arms, pulling her to follow him regardless of the fact that she was trying to deny him.

Sakura stumbled on her feet awkwardly as he forced her into the shower with him, whimpering nervously as he turned on the hot water.

"Don't think." Gaara urged, pulling her into an embrace under the steaming stream of water. Her head rested against his bare shoulder while her breathing grew tight with anxiety. He reached for the shampoo, and forced her hand to take some in her palm before guiding it to his head. She went through the motions of washing his hair easily, but when his hands went to clutch at her hips she gave a small squeak.

"This is so wrong-" The pinkette murmured, and in his desperation he shook his head at her.

"I don't care... just stay with me..." The redhead gave a shaking exhale before truly clinging to her frame. He felt her soft curves mold to his firm hands, and her whole figure would bend to fit best in his arms. He could feel her body was relaxed enough to drape against him, and it was wonderful.

"So needy, Gaara. One of these days I'm not going to be able to do this for you." Sakura was stern in her words, but she was still scrubbing his hair gently. His arms clung to her tighter, feeling her drenched clothes crinkle soggily in his grasp.

"I don't want that day to come." He choked, and the being in his embrace tensed considerably. However, she said nothing.

Was it because he wanted her to stay forever? Or was it because he sounded so vulnerable? He was certain that she would never tell him the truth on the matter.

The rest of the shower stayed that way, painfully silent.

\- ... - ... -

"Okay, so I think we should play an ice breaker game." Sakura shuffled the deck of cards on the coffee table, the room lit only by oil lamp seemed to set a strange mood for the redhead. As if this game was almost intimate. "It'll play like this; we draw a card and ask questions. From the two up to seven we can ask innocent questions. For example, 'what's your favorite color' so on and so forth."

"What about eight through king?" Gaara interrupted, and funnily enough she shushed him.

"I'm getting to that! Eight through king we can ask questions about our pasts or feelings on certain things, but we keep the questions within our current set boundaries. For example, 'what went through your mind when we met'. Stuff like that." The pinkette let the cards flutter through her fingers as she shuffled, a small smile was currently gracing her beautiful face. "As for the aces we can ask the deep stuff like 'how it feels to be a jinchuriki', or 'what it's like to lose your village'. The painful stuff."

Sakura's smile faltered then, and it hurt him more than he thought it would.

"What about the joker?" The redhead pointed to the two joker cards she had placed off to the side. She blinked at them, and with a shrug she added them to the deck.

"I guess we could spice it up a bit. You can ask a perverted question if you pull a joker." The pinkette smirked, probably pleased that she could come up with something so quickly on the spot.

"Could you give an example?" Gaara murmured, not really sure what exactly a perverted question would entail. She scoffed for a moment, but then quickly came to realize that he was being serious.

"Um... okay, well... I could ask what you fantasize about when you ma-" Sakura stopped herself, and her cheeks flushed. He honestly wanted her to finish her sentence, but she cleared her throat instead. "Ah ha ha... no maybe not... okay... um. I could ask 'are you a virgin' or something stupid like that. Let's just play."

With a curt nod she placed the deck on the table, and motioned him to draw a card. He blinked at the stack, and gingerly took a card from the top.

"It's a seven." The redhead placed the card down on the stone table's surface to show her that he had gotten the seven of clubs. This seemed to brighten her smile a bit.

"Alright! Ask away!" The pinkette beamed with her arms crossed, crinkling one of his maroon shirts.

He thought on his question for a moment, finding it difficult as he had never honestly tried to get to know anyone before. It took about a minute for him to actually formulate something.

"What's your favorite color?" Gaara asked, and her eyes lit up brilliantly.

"Red. It's the color of passion." Sakura giggled, and the sound seemed to tickle his ears.

Also, the fact that she liked the color red made him feel quite light. Obviously his hair was that color, that was a given, but he also liked that color as well. Only, it was mostly because he liked the color of blood, 'passion' was not necessarily the first thing on his mind when he thought saw red.

The pinkette reached forward with a contagious smile, plucking up a card from the top. Her expression dropped for a moment before placing the card down on the table.

Ace of hearts, how ironic.

"Alright, a nitty-gritty question..." Sakura took a deep breath, and he found himself breathing in just the same way. "What happened with Yashamaru... your uncle?"

As much as that memory hurt him he felt almost a sense of relief. Talking about his past was painful, but for some reason it was liberating too. As if it healed him in some way. So this wasn't such a horrible question after all.

He took a breath.

"Yashamaru raised me up until I was six, he was kind and loving during that time, but I quickly found out that it had been a lie." Gaara looked hard at the ace of hearts, almost as if the card was a symbol of his life. A lonely heart, only left to love it's self. "He was ordered to raise me, he wanted to love me as I was his only sister's son. However, he could not forgive me for killing my own mother during my birth-"

"That's awful! You can't blame a baby for that!" Sakura interjected vehemently, and when his eyes found hers he did not see pity. He saw anger. "I hope you don't feel responsible for that, because that is certainly not your fault."

The redhead remained silent, in shock over her strong words. He quickly shook his head of it, returning to his initial train of thought.

"It doesn't matter. At any rate my father ordered him to kill me, if possible. Yashamaru executed that order, but failed in completing it. He hid himself under a mask, and I crushed him until he was hanging to life by a thread." Gaara sighed, leaning back in his chair he covered his eyes with his hand. "He told me he had always hated me, that my mother had hated me, and that I was born from her hatred of our people. I was born with the hopes of destroying everything... I lived up to that purpose."

"I'm... so sorry." Sakura tried to empathize with him, and he found it amusing that her heart would even try such a stupid thing. "Is that why you have that tattoo-?"

"Is this a card you are pulling, or a genuine question?" The redhead lowered his hand, revealing said mark on his forehead. She looked down guiltily at the table, and it made him feel just as shameful that he had made her feel that way. "It's... a scar. Not a tattoo. Up until I was thirteen it was the only time I had ever been physically injured, and I had managed to do it to myself. The first time I had ever felt physical pain, just to carve this symbol on my face."

Gaara sighed, feeling that pain resurface once again.

"To remind me of the one thing I needed most... and the fact that I would never truly receive it. Only I could provide love for myself, and that's the way it will always be-"

"-And since your cup is empty you can't give anything to anyone else. It's why you can't show love or compassion... because it was never given to you to begin with." The pinkette's voice sounded small, and fragile. His eyes found her again, only this time she was the one looking at the lonely card. "You... deserve better."

Something cracked inside him. His eyes went wide at her declaration, and his lips parted in disbelief.

He deserved better? How could she think such a thing? He was a monster that not even a mother could love...

Somehow his heart was beating so fast he thought he was actually dying.

"Please, pull a card. I asked you a very personal question... you should be able to do the same." Sakura gave him a broken smile, and while he appreciated it he also felt that his pain should not be hers to bare. He flipped up a card, finding it to be a quick turn of events.

Joker, fate must be laughing at him.

"I have no clue what to ask..." The redhead stared at the card, but didn't miss her audibly gulp.

"Eh heh. Just go ahead, ask the most perverted thing you can think of." The pinkette seemed to appreciate, and loath the sudden topic change, but he humored her none the less.

What was the most perverted thing that he could think of? He wasn't educated very well on what sex entailed, he only knew the basics of it. Asking her if she was a virgin was counterproductive as he was almost completely certain that she was one.

Perhaps asking her if she ever desired to was the best option.

"Have you ever wanted to participate in intercourse with anyone?" Gaara asked innocently, but still got a blush for his trouble. She squirmed in her chair for a moment before answering him.

"I had, yeah, but that person turned out to be a not so great friend-"

"Sasuke?" He interjected, watching her bristle at the name. Her eyes found his anxiously in the dim light before turning away.

"Yeah. I liked him a lot, but now I kind of hate him. My teammates are bastards." Sakura soured, and he felt that this wasn't necessarily going the way he wanted it to go.

"Just him? Or has anyone else caught your interest?" The redhead pressed, getting a rather flustered expression from her as her jade orbs quickly locked onto his own.

"That's two questions. I answered one, I'm not going to answer another." She snapped, suddenly making it aware to him that there might have been or that there is another man that has captured her interest.

'How curious...' He thought to himself, watching her reach for the next card with a huff.

"King of diamonds. How do you feel about the ongoing war between our nations?" The pinkette was quick to hiss out the question, making him raise a naked brow at her animosity.

"I'm bored of it. I'm tired of killing your people." Gaara answered honestly, but it seemed to have an odd effect on her.

"Do you... kill leaf ninja often?" Sakura pressed him for more information, but there was no need. He would have told her the truth regardless.

"Yes. I killed one today during questioning-"

"Name." The pinkette was suddenly wide eyed, leaning forward desperately. "What was their name!?"

"Kojima. I didn't get a family name from him." The redhead answered quickly, hoping that he didn't actually maim someone she cared about. To his relief she sighed, a visible burden lifting off her shoulders.

"Thank god, I don't know him." Her hand went over her heart, but he felt the guilt continue to sink in.

He decided to tell her about Lee.

"Rock Lee..." Gaara began, and watched painfully as her hands covered her mouth. "I... fought him the other day... but I let him go. He's still alive."

A choked sob came out from behind her hands, forcing him to turn away awkwardly.

"Sorry... I don't know why I brought that up. I didn't mean to-" His words were cut short as Sakura pushed out her chair roughly. His charcoal rimmed eyes flicked over to watch her push herself around the table, growing confused as she flung herself against him with a tight embrace.

The redhead tensed in his chair as she slid down him until she was kneeling on the floor. She held him around the waist tightly, sobbing against his chest while settled perfectly between his open knees. He didn't know how to console her so he did what she always seemed to do for him, and pet her gently on the top of her head.

"Th-thank you... for sp-sparing him..." The pinkette was praising him for his 'mercy', but her voice sounded mournful. It had his heart aching painfully in his chest.

He didn't want to make her cry, or even make her worry. Suddenly her feelings were so important to him that he felt like making any sacrifice possible just for her comfort.

Gaara nodded, finally relaxing in her arms.

He decided then that if she asked it of him, he would not kill anyone who's death would injure her heart. He never wanted to see that look of fear on her face ever again. 


	4. Chapter 4

Sakura spent several days like this; allowing him to hold her, soothing him when he seemed to be teetering on a mental breakdown, and the occasional shower intrusion that still had her jumping out of her skin. Other than that he rarely talked to her, with the exception of their card games, and he hadn't touched her with any sexual intent.

The last part surprised her as they had seen each other naked a few times now, and he was adamant about getting affection from her. However she wasn't necessarily making any moves either.

Yet, it had her curious to whether or not that was something that he would eventually want from her. It seemed like that in the beginning, but ever since that one singular night he had never 'assaulted' her again or even hurt her for that matter.

The pinkette sighed, sitting lazily at the coffee table situated near a window. Yes, she could try to escape, but she would most likely be caught in a matter of minutes. Guards always seemed to be outside the door, or on the streets. It was pointless.

She was still wearing Gaara's clothes too, as none were provided for her. Today she wore one of his longer tunic-like shirts, the kind that he would usually fashion a few straps around to re-establish his natural shape.

However, her shape was obviously more curvaceous than his.

He really enjoyed wearing maroon, or some other dried blood colors. Occasionally he would wear black, or grey, and she did see a white suit tucked deep in his closet. She wondered what he would look like if he wore teal-

The doors to his room flung open rather abruptly, and the redhead stormed in with a scowl. She was about to ask him what had happened, but then halted her question as he picked up a chair to throw it across the room shattering a full length mirror.

Alright, so he was angry, enraged even. Her best bet now just to wait for him to finish his tantrum before consoling him.

"FUCKING BASTARDS!" Gaara snarled viciously like a wild animal before pushing over a chest of drawers, spilling his clean laundry everywhere. Next he found a vase, and with a homerun swing he smashed it against the stone walls.

"Gaara." Sakura spoke gently, and his eyes turned on her with a malicious gaze.

"Don't. Say. Anything." He huffed violently, but it seemed just looking at her calmed his screaming. With how her mere presence eased him, she was confident that she could move in, and tame the raging beast.

She did as she was told, and said nothing, but waltzed up to him all the same to embrace him. He gave a halfhearted push to her shoulders.

"Don't touch me-!" The redhead's pushes didn't hurt, they were just irritating, but her hold stayed strong over his squirming frame. "I said don't touch me!"

The pinkette persevered, not budging in the slightest at his light struggling. Eventually he gave a huff, and hugged her back. He rested his chin on her shoulder, nuzzling into her hair like some sort of pet dog.

In a way they were each other's 'pets', and she was glad she fell into his command rather than Kankuro's. However, up close the older brother did not seem as heartless as she had initially thought. He was worried for her safety after all.

"Most people hide when I get like that." Gaara spoke just above a whisper in a tone that was laced in guilt. It was reassuring to see him show remorse.

"You won't hurt me, or at least I believe you won't..." Sakura hummed while she stroked her fingers soothingly down his back. He liked those kind of touches, as well as the soft scratches against his scalp. He claimed it tingled when she did it, and he would practically place his head in her lap for easier petting. He really was like a puppy.

"Your faith in me is naive." The redhead huffed stubbornly, but eventually every muscle in his body started to relax. "They want me to go to a social gathering. I don't want to go."

She couldn't believe how spoiled he sounded, however from how he was generally treated she honestly didn't blame him in not wanting to be around people.

"I understand you don't like people, but this could be good for you too-"

"No, it won't! I hate them all!" Gaara growled before hiding his face in the crook of her neck, his arms holding her desperately. "I hate them."

"Do you have anyone you like that could go with you?" The pinkette reasoned with him, and he went oddly silent. It took a moment, but he finally nodded, and it made her smile to know that someone else cared for him-

"You'll need a dress..." He mumbled, and her body stiffened at his words.

She was the only person he trusted. The only person he liked enough to make a point in being around. That fact broke her heart, and she began to feel him slip in like a lonely child wanting love from a mother. She allowed her heart to take over this one time.

"I need clothes in general. I've been wearing your clothes for a week now, and I have no underwear." She chuckled to herself lightly, but noticed his body tense at her words. His arms strangely held her closer, making her wonder about what he might be thinking.

"I don't go... shopping. Temari usually buys my clothes for me." The redhead tensed a bit further, pressing her chest firmly against his own. "But you need clothes, and my clothes don't suit your body..."

'Well at least he's noticed.' She inwardly laughed.

"Your body... is so different from mine..." He inhaled through his nose, and exhaled on her neck making every hair on her flesh rise in alert at his intimate position. "It's soft... and rounded... something about it makes me feel warm-"

"That's enough, Gaara. I get what you're saying." Sakura shifted on her feet nervously until he finally detached himself from her. This was also a mistake, as he really began to stare at her with a newfound curiosity. "Okay, so... shopping. Are you allowed to take me with you?"

That got his attention, and he blinked like a deer in headlights.

"I can take you wherever I please. If anyone tries to stop me I will kill them on the spot." The fact that he said this in complete seriousness had her withering. It was going to be tough bringing him around people.

"Alright then. Let's go hit the shops!" The pinkette flashed an excited smile, not because of actual shopping, but because she could finally go outside. He seemed perplexed by it, but said nothing as he led the way.

\- ... - ... -

"I don't like that dress." The redhead huffed stubbornly as she held up a lovely blue strapless dress with a train. The dress was most certainly stunning so she couldn't understand why he wouldn't like it. She grabbed a red strappy dress thinking he would approve of it, but once again got a firm shake of his head. "No, its ugly."

Gaara was not one for fine fabrics, or fashionable cuts. There had to be something that he liked, but she had practically gone through every single dress in the store.

A mannequin in the back was sporting an interesting floor length dress. It contoured to the body like a second skin, was off the shoulder with tight long sleeves, and had a nude base fabric with a black intricate sequined design over the top. If the mannequin wasn't stark white she was certain that it would blend with the skin, looking like a black glittering woven tattoo down the whole body.

It was elegant, and scandalously modest. It sounded like an oxymoron, but the dress covered almost every inch with the exception of the shoulders and collar bone. However, its design made it look like the person was wearing just a sheared intricate black design over the skin. It was incredible.

Looking at the wrack it hung on she found her size to throw it over her arm, which was the only thing the redhead seemed to be paying attention to.

"That's ugly-"

"Oh, you'll change your tune when I try it on." Sakura grinned devilishly before finding a choker to go with the dress. He studied her for a moment, looking a bit miffed over the fact that she outright denied his opinion, but he seemed to let it go for now. "Okay, I'm going to try this on, you stay right there and don't go anywhere."

Without waiting for his approval she entered the changing room, and closed the curtain. Taking off his clothes that she had been wearing she slipped into the dress, and ended up shocking herself as she looked in the mirror.

It blended almost too well with her skin, and it hugged her curves all the way to her knees. It was a knock-out dress for sure, and if he wasn't impressed by her choice then god be damned he had to be an asexual man.

The pinkette opened the curtain, and strutted out of the small hall to greet him in the elegant dress. Luckily she was right two times that day.

Gaara blinked hard and fast, almost in confusion over the sight of the dress. She turned all the way around for him to really take it in, and he remained stunned as well as speechless.

"Well? What do you think? Is it still ugly?" Sakura smirked as she looked at herself in the mirror, and felt like swooning over her own reflection as narcissistic as that might sound, but it was true. It had been years since she actually felt pretty, so she was going to live in the moment.

"You made the dress beautiful." The redhead mumbled, most likely it was a thought that he had meant to keep to himself as his face cringed the second it left his lips.

"I made it beautiful? How?" With a giggle the pinkette put her hair up with her hands to see what kind of style would suit the dress best. She could see him shuffling nervously in the reflection.

"It was ugly, and shriveled on the hanger, but when you filled it the dress became beautiful." Gaara flushed slightly as he said it, and it was an expression she never expected to see grace his features. It shocked her to watch him act so normal, so human, and that thought was as sweet as it was bitter. "I know it sounds ridiculous-"

"No, that was a wonderful compliment. Thank you, I'm... flattered. Extremely." His blush was contagious, and she knew it had to be showing on her cheeks.

How was it that someone who could be the cruelest of people could also say the most heartfelt things? It reminded her of a theory someone had told her; good comedians were actually the saddest people. She wondered if that was case for Gaara; ruthless monsters were actually hopelessly wanting love.

Well, she already knew the answer to that question, and the whole idea had her scolding herself.

'He's not something you can _fix_ , Sakura. You need to stop growing interested in damaged people.'

She chose to push her curiosity away for the time being, and brought herself back to reality. With one last look over she nodded her head approvingly. "So, I think this one is it. Don't you think?"

"Mm." The redhead nodded jerkily, and she giggled again before returning to the changing room.

After she had purchased the dress, she started to wonder why it was that she wanted him to be pleased with her appearance? What would that provide for her aside from his own personal favoritism?

'You like being the only person close to him, it makes you feel important-'

Sakura practically punched her inner voice for such disturbing thoughts, but it was definitely something to think about.

The day went on; she picked up some feminine toiletries, makeup, shoes, civilian clothes, and unfortunately underwear. It was unfortunate because for some reason the redhead felt it was his 'right' to state his opinion on every single pair of underwear she picked up. Which was odd, however it was just underwear.

Her one refusal was thongs, and thankfully he could agree on it. The redhead stated that they were for concubines only, which gained a few 'secretive' dirty looks from several women in the shop. Yet he was adamant to the fact that he had never seen a woman in such attire in person, which made the former kunoichi laugh at how he thought that was important need to know information. Long story short, all her underclothes involved lace for some reason.

They trekked back to his home, which was a stone building much like everything else in Suna. They traveled up the many flights of stairs until they reached his floor, it seemed to be abandoned for the most part now that she really paid attention.

The sun was setting through the windows as she plopped her bags on the bed. While they had been gone someone had actually come in, and replaced all of the broken furniture from earlier. She wondered how often this must happen for them to be so quick about it.

"The maids came by, they are rather good at their jobs-" Gaara cleared his throat awkwardly, and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Very good I'd say. Wow." Sakura turned this way and that, inspecting the replacements that were better than their former pieces. With a content sigh she grabbed a few articles of her new clothing, and her toiletries before nearly skipping over to the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" The redhead queried, and she faced him with a brilliant smile.

"I'm going to shower, brush my teeth, and finally slip into something that actually fits my body for once." The pinkette gave a lighthearted snicker, and went about her merry way to the shower.

She had gotten a lot of fruity floral scented products, and was excited to use all of them in one go. From shampoos to body oils she was ready for a full explosion of girlish products.

Sakura hummed to herself, starting up the shower to allow the room to steam slightly. Her day had been a pleasant one, interesting, but pleasant. She had actually truly enjoyed her time spent with the redhead, and admitted to herself that he wasn't actually terrible company.

The pinkette stepped into the hot stream of water, breathing in the steam as she readied herself for a good wash. Her thoughts traveled back to Gaara, and she wondered just what he thought of her.

He was protective of her, he seemed to like her, but he also desired something from her. How dark that desire truly went, she didn't rightly know, all she knew was that her presence eased him in some way, and that he wanted her affection.

Sakura didn't want to admit it, but she enjoyed his strange attentions. For some reason it made her feel loved, and needed by someone. She didn't feel like that worthless girl left behind by her teammates anymore.

The pinkette sighed, not really knowing what she should do about her new feelings. She had just put a strawberry scented conditioner in her hair when the curtain slid open, letting out all of the heat with a cold whoosh of air.

While it made her jump slightly she was also expecting it as it happened a lot.

"Oh for heavens sake, Gaara! Please let me enjoy this, I haven't gotten to shower with products like these in a long time-!" Sakura stomped her foot for emphasis, but his expression stayed stony. She knew that he was going to be stubborn in one way or another, so she immediately gave up. "Can you close the curtain then? You are letting the heat out, and I'm freezing..."

She turned away from him, self consciously wrapping her arms around her breasts knowing full well what the cold would do to her body. It happened with everyone of course, but for women it was quite obvious, and embarrassing.

The curtain closed, but not before she heard fabric being shifted around, and dropped to the floor.

'Why does he always do this?! Can I not get a single moment of privacy?' The pinkette rolled her eyes, and in an attempt to ignore him she lathered up her bright smelling soap while scrubbing it against her skin.

"It smells... different." Gaara's voice was so incredibly close to her that it made her tremble. It were as if he was centimeters away, sniffing at the products on her skin, and hair.

"Well I'm sorry if you don't like it, but I find it to be very relaxing-" Sakura started bitterly, but cut herself short as she felt his warm hands smooth over her shoulders. His palms enveloped her while his thumbs drew hypnotizing circles against her sensitive flesh.

Always so intimate, yet never truly intrusive. The slight touches didn't seem to bother her anymore, but yet there was something in her gut that told her that it would not always be like this. Eventually he will want more.

"It's not a bad smell, just heady... it makes me feel kind of dizzy." Like a canine he continued to sniff, but his hands began to wander from her shoulders down her frame with a feathery touch.

It was clear what he was doing, but she didn't know if it had gone far enough yet for her to necessarily stop him. As his silky hands focused more on her waist she found it a bit acceptable, he wasn't moving anywhere else other than that so she felt that they were still in a safe zone.

"You're... so soft..." The redhead practically purred near her ear sending shivers down her spine. She had to move the topic along to something else less he get the fabulous idea of getting fresh with her.

"Here!" She whipped around in his arms to face him with a chipper smile, with the fruity shampoo in her hands she immediately began lathering it into his messy red hair. "It'll make you soft too! It's nice isn't it?"

He started to relax as she massaged at his scalp, but she startled with a surprised yelp when his arms pulled her against him tightly for an embrace. Every wet, naked inch of him was touching her, and slickly rubbing when she tried squirming away.

"Gaara... this isn't okay-" Her form trembled, and her tries to slip away from him ended in vain.

"Your body is so small... my hands can almost touch each other when they're around your waist..." His breathing was growing more sharp by the second, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she could feel 'it' on her thigh. She tried squirming again, but he only squeezed harder, indenting her soft curves with his grip. "You're...really slippery-"

"Gaara, let go of me right now!" Sakura was lubricated enough from her soap to turn herself around in his arms. They stumbled slightly into the stream of water leaving her partially blind, and unable to wipe the water from her eyes.

His body was so hard in comparison to her own, and the rippling feeling of smooth muscles on her back had her mind racing. Her thoughts of him were not the sweet kind, and it made her feel utterly shameful. It was too warm in here, she couldn't seem to catch her breath in the steam.

Heat attacked her neck that wasn't water, but it still felt wet. Something slick moved along her skin, and with a bated breath she realized it was his tongue licking at her shoulder. The smacking noise of his lips sucking along her skin filled her ears along with the sound of running water. The sensation burned in both pleasant, and unpleasant ways leaving her confused.

God, she was going to lose her virginity tonight, to the person holding her prisoner... in his fucking shower. Was this supposed to be her payment to him since he bought her some nice things? Her body for new clothes, and some beauty products? She started to really struggle, and he did not like that.

The pinkette felt her form be slammed against the cold sandstone, but not enough to bruise, just enough to startle her. She looked into his burning eyes, and instantly felt so small in comparison to him.

"Stop acting like your scared of me, I don't want that from you." The redhead huffed bitterly, confusing her even more than before.

'He doesn't want to scare me, or make me feel pain...'

"You smiled so much today, and it was beautiful. Please do it again... just for me..." His naked brows furrowed, and when she couldn't comply to his demands his hand pounded on the stone next to her head. "Stop looking at me like I'm a monster!"

"You're not a monster, and I'm not scared of monsters..." Sakura looked off to the side, wishing she could retract what she had just blurted out. His eyes turned sad.

"Why are you scared of me? Why does it bother you when I touch you?" Gaara tried following her face every time she turned it, not giving up until he had the answers he needed. She ended up closing her eyes, and something inside her broke. She only prayed that the water could hide the tears starting to escape her eyes.

"I'm scared... because you're a man." At her own words she felt her breath begin to heave. Panic filled her to the point that she couldn't breathe properly, and when she wanted him far away from her he only pulled her in closer to press her face to his shoulder.

She panted against his skin, not realizing that an embrace was exactly what she needed despite wanting to push away from him. She was dizzy, and it was hot. Had he not been holding her so tightly she was certain she would fall to her knees.

"If it makes you feel better you scare me too." His words rang more clearly than ever before, and it gained her attention quickly. "I'm afraid of... people. So it hurts when I touch you, or talk to you, or hold you... but I like you so much that I choose to ignore how much it hurts."

That pulled so hard at her heartstrings that she almost felt bad for denying him any form of human contact. She started to beat herself up over it.

This strange man, who hated everyone, liked her enough that it bordered on romantic. She had watched him fight people, grinding them to a bloody spray, and yet he had no desire to hurt her. He was awkward with her before, but now he only ever showed his true colors.

Deep down Gaara was lonely, and scared of the hatred others had for him.

How could she act so delicate when this man was literally made of sand? A porcelain doll that fought anything that got near it's fragile heart.

What made her fears so different?

"Okay...you win." She trembled, feeling her guts begin to twist as she spoke her next words, but she felt she owed him something for the kindness that he showed to no other person. With her face pressed into the crook of his neck she swallowed hard. "You can tou-"

"Gaara! You in there?!" A pounding came at the door, making her jump at the sudden sound. With a snarl he pushed away from her, threw open the curtain, and with out a shred of clothing he swung open the door.

"What?!" The redhead seethed at whoever was on the other side, but Sakura huddled further into the shower to make sure that if this person became curious that she would not be seen.

"Woah, sorry I didn't realize you actually showered-" The clearly male voice echoed in the room, and she could almost place it.

"I'm making a habit of it, so what the hell do you want?" Gaara seemed to leer at this person. If his gourd was placed in the bathroom rather than next to the bed she was certain that this man would already be dead.

"Council wants to know if you would like an escort to the annual banquet, so don't shoot the messenger-"

"I already have one." The redhead huffed, but at the mention of who he would be keeping as his company he seemed to relax a bit.

"Who are you taking?" She finally recognized the voice, it was his older brother, Kankuro.

Gaara seemed to shift on his feet, as if he didn't want answer the question.

"Sakura." He finally said. It was the first time he had ever said her name outright, and the way it rolled off his tongue sent chills down her spine. What frightened her more was the fact that she couldn't tell if it was a pleasant tingle, or a fearful shiver.

"Sakura is your date?! She's still alive?! Where is she?" The questions were fast, and frantic. Apparently Kankuro must have assumed that his younger brother had killed her by now.

'They must not talk often.' She thought.

"She's in here with me." The redhead stated it so openly that she felt herself flush from head to toe. Why it mattered what Kankuro knew or thought she couldn't say, all she knew was that she felt bashful over the fact that she was actively showering with her captor on a regular basis.

"Bullshit. You're just trying to get away from the fact that you should get an escort-!"

The curtain ripped open violently, and the two men watching her had her screaming with embarrassment.

"Gaara! Close it!" Sakura screeched as she tried closing the curtain herself, but had a hard time up until the redhead calmly did it for her. She sunk to the ground, and held her knees to her chest before whimpering in discomfort.

"You didn't kill her..." Kankuro sounded completely shocked.

"No, I did not kill her. I kept her, like you told me I should." Gaara murmured gently, but she could still hear him through the running water.

"Well, I'm proud of you, Gaara! Making some good steps with your first concubine-!"

"She's not a concubine." The redhead hissed, and silence enveloped the room before the older brother even thought to question it.

"Gaara, you're having sex with her-"

"We don't do that. We're not like you." Gaara sounded strange, almost possessive. That, and the fact that he was referring to them now as a unit.

"So I'm just supposed to think that you're just showering together? Men and women don't just shower together unless something else is going on." Kankuro seemed to be a bit sour over the idea, perhaps it was more of the fact that he thought that he was being plainly lied to.

"You can have a medic check her over then, we haven't done anything like that." The redhead huffed once more before giving an irritated sigh. "Go away, I don't like talking to you-"

"Gaara-" Sakura finally peeped her head from behind the curtain, allowing her face to be seen once more by his older brother. "Don't say things like that. It's mean, and rude."

Gaara blinked at her for a moment, still stark naked and dripping all over the floor with his older brother standing dumbfounded in the doorway. It was a very awkward moment, and how her captor could just stand there without any shame in the world was astonishing.

"But I hate him-" He pointed at the puppet master rudely.

"Oh, Gaara! You do not! He is your brother, and he loves you! Apologize to him right now!" The pinkette scolded him with every fiber of her being. She was done with his boorish behavior; he was an adult not a five year old.

While their relationship was lax enough for her to backtalk, the elder in the room started to pale rapidly.

"H-hey now, it's all good! I'm not hurt by it!" Suddenly Kankuro was waving his hands in surrender, as if something very bad was going to happen that only he knew about.

However, he seemed to be proven wrong as the redhead turned his eyes to the floor.

"Sorry, Kankuro." Gaara huffed bitterly, and his breath was heaving in his chest to control his temper. The puppet master's mouth dropped open in disbelief, but then he quickly recovered with a curt nod.

"Um... apology accepted. Have a good night." Kankuro awkwardly closed the door, the shock on his features still present as he pulled the handle to shut it completely.

The redhead remained there, staring at the ground. He still seemed to be simmering under the surface, perhaps there was a way to get him to calm down.

"You did very well, Gaara. I really like it when you're polite, and kind." Sakura used a common tactic that she saved for young children, and that was praising them for every little good thing rather than focusing on punishments. It seemed to work in her favor, as the redhead wandered back into the shower, but it seemed that his mind wasn't on what it had been previously.

Sure his arms wrapped around her frame greedily, but the way he nuzzled against her shoulder told her that he merely wanted her praise. He only wanted to be nurtured.

That was something that she would gladly do for him, and she did just that.

-…-….

"So, how's life?" Kankuro had leaned into the redhead's peripheral vision, looking over the younger brother's shoulder to see what exactly he was reading.

"It's fine." Gaara deadpanned, wanting more than anything to just disappear from this conversation completely.

The library had been silent up until this point, but now it seemed that he would no longer be getting any privacy.

"Alright, let me rephrase that. How do you like having a lady friend in your life?" The puppet master sat himself down in the chair next to his little brother, grinning ear to ear.

While the redhead appreciated actual positive attention, he still felt a bit of animosity with his older brother. Kankuro had called him a monster more than a handful of times, and it left the younger bitter over their relationship.

'"He is your brother, and he loves you!"' Sakura's words seem to echo inside him, and he wondered if blood really was thick enough to clot the open wounds from his past.

He supposed trying wouldn't hurt.

"Sakura eases me, so I would say my life is better for having her in it." Gaara spoke honestly, and he got a reaction that he wasn't truly expecting.

"That's awesome! I'm glad you could find a nice girl to settle down with." The puppet master beamed before patting his younger brother on the shoulder. His kindness took the redhead by surprise causing an owlish expression in the younger man. "So, have you kissed her yet?"

He was quick to the point...

"I had tried it in the beginning on a whim, but she didn't seem to appreciate the gesture." Gaara sighed, closing his book before placing it on the table. Funnily enough he had been reading a fairytale about a beast falling in love with a beautiful maiden, and found far too many similarities to himself and Sakura in the story.

Kankuro reached over to tilt the book his way, eyeing it curiously before raising a brow at his brother.

"You're not going to find out how to woo her through books like these. She seems open to you though, a girl doesn't just shower and sleep in the same bed with a guy who is 'just a friend'." The puppet master leaned back in his chair then before lacing his fingers together in thought. "You do want to hook up with her right?"

The redhead wouldn't use the term 'hook up' to describe it, but it was something close to that. He gave a quick nod, knowing his brother had more experience with women regardless.

"Okay, well... there are a few options here. You guys seem close already so making some moves would probably be safe. You could probably be straight forward with her too, she seems to be that type of girl anyways-"

"I don't know how to make 'moves', I don't even have a clue on what a 'move' would consist of." Gaara murmured mostly to himself as he stared at the fantasy book in front of him, the beast painted on the cover seemed intimidating.

"Well, you could try kissing her again, put a hand on her thigh, maybe whisper something sexy in her ear." Kankuro gave out options, but they were completely lost on the redhead.

"I don't... what would I even say? I have no clue what I'm doing..." Gaara began to space out, panic filled him over the thought that he was completely lost in this. He had no frame of reference, he had no clue what 'sexy' even meant. "What is considered 'sexy', and even if I did know is mating with her what I truly desire? Why is that so important to everyone-?"

"Dude, having sex beats having to use your hand." The puppeteer snorted, having a good laugh over the matter. However his smile dropped when he saw there was no emotional response from the redhead. "You still seem lost-"

"What does using hands have to do with injecting sperm into a female? As far as I know, hands have nothing to do with it." Gaara placed said body part to his chin in deep thought, not noticing his brother gaping at him.

"Gaara... have you never jerked off?" The question had the redhead looking over at his older brother, finding his features to be too dissecting.

He almost didn't want to answer, even though he didn't know the meaning of the question. Yet his silence only made Kankuro's eyes widen further.

"Dude, do you masturbate?" The puppeteer seemed urgent in his question, as if it were an extremely important thing to know.

"I... don't know." Gaara answered honestly once more, watching his brother's features distort in what almost seemed like horror.

"Oh my god." Kankuro gaped at him, both of his hands came up to cover his face in complete disbelief. "That's... not normal-"

"Can you just explain it? Perhaps I have and I just don't know the terms you're using." The redhead snipped, growing more testy by the second due to his initial embarrassment.

The puppet master blinked dumbly for a moment, but then his face went serious as he leaned in towards his younger brother. He waved for him to move in closer as well, obviously this topic was a delicate matter so he humored him just this once.

"I suppose there's no beating around the bush here, so I'll be as clear as possible." Kankuro's expression was stern as he cleared his throat, then lowered his voice so it could only be heard within the redhead's distance. "Masturbation is when you touch your genitals for sexual gratification."

Gaara ingested that information for a moment, trying to think back on if he had ever done such a thing...

The only time he had ever felt anything pleasant from touching that area was moments when Sakura had washed him. However, he had placed her hands down there to begin with... perhaps it was more instinctual than he had originally thought.

However, he had never actually tried it out on himself. He had of course held them, and washed them before out of necessity, but he had never gotten any pleasure out if it. He didn't even realize that it was supposed to feel pleasant.

"'Are you telling me... you've never touched yourself before?'" Sakura's words came back to him, making more sense now than they had at the time.

Apparently not masturbating was strange to people, including her. Did that mean she also did such things?

'I've never seen her do anything of the sort... perhaps she's like me, only she actually understands what it is that she doesn't partake in-

"Have you seen or read any pornographic material?" Kankuro interrupted his train of thought, however he understood for the most part what pornography was. He just didn't care enough to search it out.

Gaara shook his head, and his brother winced in a painful way.

"I have to be the worst brother on the planet." The puppet master put his head in his hands with a disappointed groan.

Why was he feeling bad about this? Was this supposed to be some sort of thing that brothers talked about? It seemed to be such a private thing, and it made no sense to the redhead as to why it needed to ever be discussed.

"Okay then. I guess it's time that I stepped up to the plate." Kankuro finally lifted his head from his hands, and forced a grin on his face. "Dad's not here, so it's up to me to fill you in on what you need to know."

"Is this really necessary? I've been fine without it up to this point-" Gaara started to protest, but was stopped by his brother almost immediately.

"Don't argue on this one, what are you going to do when it comes time to move onto the next level with Sakura? I can't just sit here knowing that you're going in blind. That would make me an even shittier older brother." The puppet master took control of the conversation, placing his status as the leading male figure in the family on the table. "Now, I'm going to show you some stuff that's going to seem weird to you, but trust me when I say its educational."

There seemed to be no room for personal opinions as his older brother stood abruptly from his chair. He motioned for the redhead to follow him, and out of curiosity Gaara managed to follow his lead.

Little did he know that what he was about to see was going to warp his view on a great number of things.

\- ... - ... -

"Why is that woman doing that?" Gaara tilted his head at the video he was currently being shown, seeing it literally from another angle.

"Because it feels good to her, it's like the other clip of that guy I showed you, only this is how chicks do it." Kankuro answered with a smirk, although the expression was still lost on the younger brother. "Sakura most likely does this too, ya know."

At the mention of her name he suddenly imagined her in place of the woman on the screen. He blinked for a moment, watching carefully as the woman touched herself below the waist...

He felt warmer than usual. So much so that his coat was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"I've never seen her do such things-"

"Well, she probably doesn't want you to know about it. She may be a straightforward person, but this isn't something you do in front of someone unless you're planning on them getting something out of it. From what you told me she sounds like a virgin, that's important to a lot of women, and doing something like that in front of you would be like a blatant sign saying 'hey, lets fuck'." The puppet master leaned back in his chair as they continued to watch the scene unfold on his television set.

It was... awkward. Gaara couldn't understand how something like this was casual amongst males, or females for that matter.

Suddenly the woman on screen inserted her fingers inside herself, and it had the redhead squinting in confusion.

"What is she doing now?" Gaara questioned, and Kankuro chuckled in response.

"Like I said, it feels good to them. Their genitals go inside them, ours are on the outside. While they have a clitoris on the outside for stimulation, they can get a similar reaction from touching inside too. It's why sex is so great, cause both partners can get off on it." Kankuro nodded to himself before reaching for the remote, deciding that the current lesson had been taught well enough. "Okay, so now we'll see a man and a woman together. You can get a general idea of what needs to be done-"

"I assume it involves inserting ones genitals into the other." The redhead sighed, growing a bit bored over the idea. He had seen dogs and cats do it before, but they always seemed to be uncomfortable in their efforts. That was the main reason why he always assumed it was a less than pleasant ordeal.

"There's more to it than that. Just watch, and you might learn something." The puppet master smirked once more before skipping forward on the video.

There was a couple, and they had started out with a kiss. So far it had been familiar enough to him. Next the man had his hands all over the woman, making her seem quite pleased by his actions.

"Ah! There! Her eyes, do you see it?" Kankuro paused the video, and pointed to her pupils. "Chemical arousal, it shows in the eyes when a person is ready for sex, or in some cases romance. The pupils dilate, becoming larger than usual-"

"Swelling of the genitals, dilating of the eyes... it seems so ridiculous." Gaara huffed, gaining a loud laugh from the man next to him.

"When you notice it you'll realize how sexy it actually is. It means you're desirable to her, and that she's ready for intercourse on a chemical level. You'll end up appreciating it." The puppet master pressed play after his explanation, allowing the redhead to truly see what happens behind the closed doors of most couples.

As he assumed, the man eventually inserted himself in the female, leading him to believe that this was just going to be another case of two animals mating-

Only, it was stranger. They seemed to be enraptured in each other, moving together as one while sharing kisses and touches. There was something odd about it, and yet it also seemed to be beautiful in a way.

The couple said strange words to each other, whether it was compliments or telling each other their desires they seemed to be in a state of shamelessness. As if the words held no backlash, regardless of their content.

One phrase stuck out to him, and had Gaara completely puzzled.

"Why is she saying 'I'm coming'? No one has requested her presence anywhere." The redhead furrowed his brow at the phrase, and jumped when his brother broke out into a fit of hysterical laughter. He had never seen Kankuro laugh so hard before.

"Oh man! You're killing me!" The puppeteer began to wheeze he was so overjoyed by his younger brother's question. "Shit, man. Woo, I'm dying over here-"

"Just answer the damn question." Gaara withered, and thankfully it didn't seem to frighten his brother like he thought it would.

"Alright, alright. She's not saying 'coming' as in c-o-m-e, but as in the word c-u-m." Kankuro began with a chuckle while the redhead became invested in his explanation. "'Cum' or 'cumming' are words for orgasm, approaching orgasm, or for the stuff left over from ejaculation. For example; 'I'm going to cum on your face' would be a phrase for someone ejaculating onto their partner's face-"

"That is disgusting." Gaara soured, and his brother broke out into another hysterical fit of giggles. "Why would anyone ever do that?"

"It's kinky, kind of a 'mark your territory' ordeal." The puppet master gave a half smile.

Marking one's territory was something that the redhead understood well enough. He did contain more animalistic urges than most people due to his bijuu's influence. He still grimaced over the fact of semen being the marker rather than something like urine.

No, urine was rather disgusting too now that he thought about it.

"Well, this was a good start, but I think we should end our lesson today-" Kankuro turned off the tv, but his words had Gaara gaping at him.

"There's more than this?!" As the redhead's mouth hung open his brother ended up laughing for the umpteenth time that day.

"Oh dude, we haven't even touched on oral sex. That's a whole other beast." The puppeteer snickered before rising from his seat.

'What the hell is 'oral' sex? I didn't think there would be so much to this-' As his eyes widened at the amount of information he'd have to take in, his brother patted him firmly on the shoulder with camaraderie.

"Don't stress about it too much, most of it is exploration anyways. Try it on yourself tonight, and see how you feel." Kankuro stretched casually, as if none of this content affected him at all.

"You can't be serious-" Gaara paled at the thought, growing nervous at the idea of trying to venture to such a state of mind and body.

"Dead serious, just take a long hot shower. Any mess will go down the drain easy, so you wont have to stress over cleaning up-"

"I can't do that! Sakura is staying in my room!" The redhead panicked, but his older brother merely hushed him gently.

"Hey now, it's okay. She doesn't have to know. Just keep your voice down, and you should be fine." The puppet master patted his brother on the back reassuringly, and surprisingly the younger found comfort in it.

Gaara had actually felt a bit of bonding from this 'lesson', and for the first time he actually was grateful for his older brother's existence.

"Kankuro?" The redhead murmured softly, knowing that speaking his own brother's name in calling usually had negative effects on the puppeteer. Sadly, the youngest of the sand siblings only ever spoke their names in moments of anger, and he knew that he would have to start being more gentle in his approach with them if he ever hoped to have any form of a family relationship.

His soft demeanor seemed to have a good enough effect.

"You have another question?" Kankuro was quick to smile, making everything at ease.

"No, I just... wanted to thank you. So... thanks. For everything..." The redhead looked to the floor, unable to handle the shock on his own brother's face.

It was silent for a moment, but eventually a small laugh broke the stillness of it all.

"You're welcome. You can come to me for anything, okay? Even if it's just cause your bored." The puppet master gave a generous offer that left Gaara blinking.

The redhead nodded, unable to contain the sliver of a smile starting to appear.

\- ... - ... -

"You're back late, how was your day?" Sakura got up from her seat to walk over to the bookcase, a small smile appeared on her face as she went about putting her books and scrolls away.

Gaara watched her as she moved, studying her delicate wrists and lithe fingers as they trailed along the spines of each piece of literature she organized.

'Beautiful hands...' He mused to himself before a rather racy thought blazed through. 'I wonder if what Kankuro said is true...'

Her eyes seemed to meet him right at that moment out of coincidence, and he found his face growing hot at the idea of it. He brought his fingers to his cheeks, wondering why there was so much heat there.

"Something wrong-?" As the pinkette took a step towards him he felt himself backing away. It made her instantly concerned.

"N-no. I'm fine. I'm just..." The redhead was finding it hard to form a sentence. She was just so incredibly beautiful all of a sudden, and staring at him with her bright jade eyes. "Shower. I'm going to...take a shower."

"We took one yesterday, unless you've been out working?" Sakura took another step to examine him, and once again he stepped away from her.

"Yeah, I killed some people. Got blood in my hair, nothing to worry about-" Gaara turned tail into the bathroom with a tightness in his chest. However, this was a mistake as her curiosity seemed to force her to follow.

"Okay, well I can help you if you want." The pinkette actually offered this time, and it had his heart skipping a beat at the thought of her willingly joining him in a more private setting.

"It's alright. I can handle it by myself-"

"Really?" Her tone was suspicious, and it had him on edge.

Did she know what he was going to try to attempt here? Should he just leave it alone, and do what he normally did in the evening?

"Gaara, what's wrong? This isn't like you." Sakura walked around until she stood right in front of him, her eyes dissecting him considerably. "There's no blood. You're lying."

Alright, so now he was warm as well as sweating from the thought that she had caught him red handed. Perhaps he needed to be a bit more honest.

"Forgive me, I was just wanting to relax a bit." The redhead looked off to the side, but tensed when he felt her hands hold his own.

"If you're stressed out just let me know from now on. I like to be useful-"

"I don't want to burden you." Gaara murmured truthfully, he didn't want to cause her any form of discomfort, and yet he knew that this was exactly the type of scenario that she had been avoiding.

"I trust you. Go ahead and hop in, I'll wash your hair for you. I know you like it when I do that." She wasn't getting the hint, and it was only making him more tense.

Why couldn't he just tell her the truth? It would be so much easier just to tell her outright what his plan was.

Perhaps he really did need to make the situation clear for her. That her presence was just going to be an issue.

No, her presence would be far too stimulating. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep himself away from her for much longer.

'Why am I getting so worked up over her? We're not in love, she's not a consort, nor are we in any form of a marriage... so why-?'

"Did something... happen today? You really seem off." The pinkette brushed some of his red locks to the side, feeling out his forehead for some sort of illness. He clenched up, unable to move forward as he usually did.

He was so lost.

"I had a talk with Kankuro today, and he brought some things to light that I can't ignore anymore." Gaara looked off to the side, worried that her eyes could see through him. "I don't want you to think poorly of me, so it's better off if I keep my distance from you-"

"Well, that sounds counter productive." Sakura scoffed, forcing his gaze to turn back on her. She was crossing her arms over her red dress, stuck in some sort of power stance while her eyes held his own strongly. "You obviously want to be around me, and I've already seen you at some of your worst moments. So what is the real issue here?"

The pinkette's stare was piercing through him, forcing him to see all the beautiful details in her glassy orbs. He licked his lips, finding them to be too tingly. It didn't seem to help, so he bit into his bottom lip for a moment too.

Nothing was helping. His heart was pounding wildly in his chest, his inner thoughts screaming at him to just lean forward-

"You know what? It's fine." Sakura gave a small laugh, her demeanor suddenly seemed to be closed off. "I'll go, and you can take a nice long shower in peace."

She started turning, her image trying to disappear from his sight as she backed away.

He panicked.

"W-wait!" The redhead reached out, grabbing her wrist with a vice grip. His tone came out far too desperate, and he felt the embarrassment warm in his cheeks. His eyes shot to the floor unable to handle her shocked expression, he felt ashamed of needing her to be near him.

But that fact remained; his _need_ for her.

"Gaara, I don't know exactly what you want from me... but the way you looked at me just now told me enough." The pinkette murmured softly, but she didn't struggle in his grasp. "I don't think I can give you what you want-"

"I don't need you to do anything! I can handle it myself, I just want you nearby-!" Gaara flinched at his own words, blinking in shock over his own behavior. He looked back at the floor in disbelief, confused over why he was suddenly so weak.

Why was this important to him? He didn't need these things before, so why were they so important to him now that he knew about them?

The redhead felt disgusted by this feeling, and he wanted nothing more than to slit his own throat-

"Hey." Sakura's voice called to him, but he shut his eyes to avoid even accidentally looking her way. Her free hand cupped his cheek, and the sensation of her warmth against his skin left his breath quaking. "Gaara."

Her soft tone left goosebumps all over his body. He shook his head, trying to disappear from the room if he could.

"It's okay." The pinkette spoke softly as her touch left him. He felt her form begin to move, so he graciously let go of her other hand. He could hear her moving, and he knew it was only a matter of time before she left the room completely.

Running water, he could hear it in the shower-

"Let's get you out of these, then we can hop in together, okay?" Sakura's sweet tone tickled in his ears, and his eyes fluttered open as he felt her fingers thumbing over the buttons of his coat. Her eyes were turned down towards her work, and he spacily went with the motions of letting her undress him.

"Why are you... you don't need to-"

"Because it's not fair for you to be left out of everything life has to offer. Even if it's something that is inappropriate for me to be present for, I still want you to experience it." The pinkette nodded to herself as she slipped his coat down his shoulders, revealing a black shirt underneath.

"It... pains me to watch you suffer. I'd rather humble myself than leave you here utterly confused with no one to guide you, especially since you asked for my own personal support. I may have a stubborn ego, but my empathy is much more powerful. I wont leave you alone if you ask me to stay, my boundaries can take a hike for a little bit while we sort this out."

Gaara was in disbelief, he had never seen anyone make such sacrifices for him before. This woman was a true angel, inside and out. He didn't deserve such kindness, he didn't deserve the happiness he currently felt as her fingers smoothed over his clothes.

He felt like he was in a dream, or it could just be the steam of the shower filling the room. One by one his clothing seemed to disappear, and as he felt her begin to tug down his pants reality abruptly sank in. Before she could get them down past his groin his hands grabbed hold of them to keep them up.

The redhead didn't want her to see him now, not when he was like this. He understood why all these things flustered her before, and now he felt so much guilt for pressuring her into anything. Even though in his eyes at the time they had been innocent, it was still unacceptable.

Right now it was not innocent. Right now he knew what he desired, and she knew it too. Yet she was moving forward all the same. Her inner strength almost frightened him.

"It's okay." Sakura whispered, her hands folding over his own to loosen them from the waistline. "You don't need to be scared, I already know what's under here-"

"You know what I looked like yesterday, today is... different." Despite his fear, Gaara loosened his death grip on his pants allowing her to pull them as she pleased. There was no reaction with the exception of her tapping lightly at his legs to cue him in stepping out of the garment. He did this, but didn't miss the way her eyes had flicked about his lower half. Luckily he still had underwear on-

She blinked for a moment, before stifling a laugh.

At first he felt a bit sick, thinking that perhaps she found something humorous about his state, or perhaps even something a bit more sinister; something that would injure his pride greatly-

"So your a grower, not a show-er. Good to know." The pinkette managed a smirk before raising herself back up. She messed with the fastenings of her own dress, leaving him dumbfounded.

"I don't understand-" The redhead began, but was quickly cut off by a snicker.

"It means that when you're flaccid it's nothing to really call home about, but when you're 'excited' it's actually quite impressive." Sakura gave another small laugh, however he could tell her emotions were mixed at the moment. Perhaps making a joke was her way of getting through awkward moments. "It means you're not small-"

"I-I got the reference. Thank you." Gaara looked off to the side as she stripped down to her underwear. He felt himself go warm over the sight of her bare skin, even though he had seen her before with even more clothing removed with no issue.

Soft hands were reaching for his faster than he could react, and she anxiously pulled him into the shower with her before closing the dark curtain behind them.

He could tell she was nervous, maybe even more so than he was, but yet she still persevered with a strong and dominant demeanor. Leading him into a fire that he expected would burn him, however she still knew more about it than he did.

The light in the shower had been kept off, while the one outside the curtain had been left on leaving them in warm shadows. She pulled him under the stream, wetting down his form as well as the last article of clothing left on him.

He felt raw, as if he had been sitting out in the sun for too long. However, the hot water felt good on other places.

"Okay, do you know how you want to do this?" The pinkette asked gently, but it didn't do much to calm his nerves.

"N-no..." The redhead shook his head slowly in a trembling whisper. Her expression seemed to fall, showing her concern for him.

"I'll try to guide you through it then. Go ahead, and take off your underwear." As her hands went to assist him he felt himself gulping deeply.

It was almost like someone else was ripping off a bandaid, however Gaara never had needed to use such a thing. Even the rare occasions where he'd get injured there was no need for anything like that, he would heal too quickly.

The second they were gone though, he felt completely frozen. He found his hardened length to be a strange phenomena, as he had never seen it go completely hard before. There had been odd times where there was a bit of stiffness, especially after he had laid down for long periods of time, but nothing like this.

"It's okay, just breathe." Although flushed, Sakura seemed to realize that she would have to guide him further. Her hand reached for his, and placed his palm and fingers accordingly on his arousal-

The redhead shuddered, finding difficulty in keeping relaxed with the sudden foreign sensation. With her hand over his own she forced him through the motions, moving his fingers slowly from base to tip. His breath hitched, finding a pulse of tingling warmth flood his senses.

"There, it's not so bad." The pinkette murmured softly before taking her hand away to place on his shoulders. Her thumbs worked soothing circles along his collarbone, and with his relief he found his head drooping down to rest in the crook of her neck. "Just feel it out right now. You've got this."

With the slightest nod against her shoulder he moved his own hand, feeling his erection twitch in his palm from the pleasant touch. His breath flayed against her neck, noting how she trembled underneath him. Yet her fingers still traced delicately across his wet shoulders, occasionally tracing down his biceps to follow the flow of water.

Gaara went through the new motions, occasionally adding more pressure here and there to his efforts. He had started to grow dizzy, and mindlessly wrapped an arm around Sakura's waist to hold himself steady. He could hear the barest of squeaks from her, and he knew that if he looked for it he would probably find a blush on her beautiful cheeks. At the thought of her flushed features a small moan escaped him, and she squirmed a bit in response to it.

"I'm...sorry..." The redhead panted heatedly against her skin, his lips brushing on the soft flesh as he spoke. She gave a small nervous laugh in return.

"You're fine, I'm just being childish..." The pinkette whispered, but he was close enough to hear it clearly.

"This... it disgusts you..." Gaara felt another moan form inside him, but he swallowed it back before it could escape.

"Gaara, this is fine. I promise." Sakura pushed him back gently until he was pressed against the wall. It stunned him enough that he stopped what he was doing to study her features. With a shy expression she bit her lip, then without any warning she leaned her head in to kiss gently at his neck.

The gasp that escaped him was embarrassing, but it felt too good to keep in. He went back to moving his hand, and in conjunction with her licking at his jugular he let out a groan of true approval.

His vision was tilting, the oxygen he was breathing didn't feel like it was reaching his veins fast enough. His motions grew instinctual, pressing firmly underneath his length as he stroked up to his tip only to swirl his thumb over the head of his pulsing erection. He shivered, and moaned sharply from the burning pleasure. It shot through his core like a hot poker, scalding him from the inside out wonderfully.

"Does it feel alright?" The pinkette murmured against his sensitive neck, and he eagerly nodded with excitement.

"Yes." The redhead purred as her hand dragged up to his jaw, petting him like one would their lover. It was comforting, and yet also strange. He hadn't connected her touches before to anything like this, but now he was afraid that any petting she gave him in the future would have undesirable results.

Undesirable; meaning he would be making whatever special moment they had awkward with his newfound promiscuous interest.

Sakura dragged her teeth along his tensed neck, and the shock of it had a sharp whine exhaling out of him without any prior thought. It surprised him, even scared him a little bit over how he couldn't control himself anymore.

Then it happened, Gaara felt and heard the sounds coming out of him consistently. His body was tingling, electrifying him more with every stroke he made. The lack of control had him beginning to panic, and thankfully he let go of himself with a pained cry.

The sensation died down, but the urge to continue was so strong. His blood was pumping so hot in his veins that he was sweating underneath the water flowing over his sensitive skin. He was salivating too, hungry for the touch that he denied himself.

"What's wrong?" The pinkette asked gently, pulling away only to look at him. She soothingly cupped his face in both of her hands, occasionally wiping away strands of wet red hair that had fallen into his eyes. He was trembling, completely torn over what he should do about the situation.

"It feels... weird..." The redhead puffed his breaths, acknowledging that his heart was going a million miles per minute. He avoided his eyes from her scrutiny, and stared off. "I don't feel... in control."

"Ah." Sakura mused, dragging her fingertips down his cheek to calm him. He remained still under the touch, hardly recognizing it was even happening. "That feeling goes away if you keep going. It's only there for a moment, but you'll feel better afterwards."

He barely registered what she had said, and jolted when he felt her hand reach for his dominant one. She guided him back to his aching arousal, repositioning him back into a firm hold.

"I d-don't want this anymore-" Gaara's voice croaked, disturbing him with how fearful he sounded.

"Sshhh, it's okay. I'm right here, and we're almost done." The pinkette hushed him in a gentle way, and guided his movements. "If you stop now you'll only end up in pain later. That's what happens when you start something like this, you need to finish it."

It was worse than before, now he truly took note of the full sensation instead of just different parts. It was like he was starting out at the last lap of a race going a hundred miles per hour.

"I can't-!" The redhead groaned through his teeth between harsh pants, hardly hearing her voice in his ear.

"You're okay, just push through. You're almost done." Sakura ran her fingers through his hair, but his scalp felt like it was burning. Every inch of him felt raw, and exposed, but his body was pushing him to keep going; to not let anything hinder his journey even though he was afraid of the unknown.

Her hand squeezed over his own, and forced him to pick up his pace. If she wasn't in the way he would have doubled over to scream. It felt wonderful, but there was a sense of abandon that he wasn't ready for. His hips bucked at the sensation, heightening it exponentially, and forcing him to feel it burn through every muscle.

"Sakura... please...!" Gaara pleaded, his heart pounded painfully in his chest as his lungs heaved with each ecstatic moan. He felt like he could recognize every single cell in his body as they ignited in flames, and yet his sense of rational thought was flying away from him.

"You're almost there. You're doing so well, and it's almost done." The pinkette cooed for him in reassurance. "Don't be scared, it'll be over very soon. Just keep going-"

"N-no... please-!" The redhead felt his core begin to burn, and the electric sensation set off some sort of alarming state. A string of sharp sounds came out of him as his vision blurred, and a harsh pounding of his heart could be heard in his ears. A tidal wave was going to hit, something horrible was coming-

"Sakura-!" Gaara shouted out her name at first, but as the final wave hit him he felt the name become forfeit to what he would compare to as a battle cry. As the pounding hit an unintelligible level he felt intense pleasure wash over him, leaving his hips rolling and his voice to give out. He experienced a harsh pulse go through his erection, and he froze up as the panging sensation rampaged his system. His eyes had clamped shut in an instant, and he saw swirls of dark color behind his lids while his entire face tingled with numbness.

When the peak had been passed the redhead let out a harsh groan, and a relieving high came in to replace the initial franticness that was present before. He whimpered as everything slowed, finding the remaining pleasantly exposed feeling to be a good sensation. His eyes opened slowly, as if he had just been remade in some way, and was experiencing a second birth.

It didn't hurt. It didn't kill him. It felt good. Everything had felt so incredibly wonderful, like he had found a way to float.

Breathing came back to him, and so did enlightenment. He had never felt so alive and refreshed in his entire life.

He wanted to do it again.

"Are you okay?" Sakura stole back his attention, and he looked down at both of their hands as she rinsed a viscous residue from them.

Gaara didn't know what urged him to do it, but he had sprung into action. His hands grabbed her to spin them around, and he held her firmly against the shower wall before pressing a firm kiss to her lips. She tensed, but didn't fight off the abrupt action.

He pressed his whole frame against her, savoring the way her body felt against his overused nerves. His arms wrapped greedily around her waist to pull her even more to his form. The delicate fingers in his hair told him to calm down, and when he noticed that he could go no further he pulled away from her.

It was like kissing a wall, but at least she was kind enough to let him try it.

"I know you're 'enraptured', but I don't want to go past this-" The pinkette was flushed, yet she shook her head in protest. It hurt him more than he thought it would...

"Its fine. I apologize for my behavior." The redhead went to pull away, but was surprised when she leaned forward to capture a chaste kiss.

The wall was suddenly no longer a wall, but a shy woman.

"Sorry, I'm just a bit slower in warming up to these sorts of things." She murmured as she pulled away, leaving him completely stunned. He had to fight an intense urge to touch his fingers to his own mouth. It was such a small and innocent kiss, yet it was still a kiss.

A kiss that she initiated. He found his hope renewed somewhat.

"Let's wash up, hmm? I think I've had enough craziness for today." Sakura laughed lightly as she reached for her bright smelling soaps, but his eyes remained glued to her back.

He remained in a strange glow for a long time, and he wondered if perhaps at a later date they could try something like this again-

'Don't rush this. Remain patient, and good things will come.' He noted to himself before finishing up his shower with her.

Patience was not his strong point. 


	5. Chapter 5

Sakura had actually had a real breakfast with him, and he was now making it a habit to take her out of the room if he was able to. She wondered if it was because of her reaction to being outside last time, how relieved and happy she had become.

Perhaps it had to do with the fact that he was warming up to her in more ways than one.

"I have a garden." Gaara blurted out as they walked casually around the grounds of his home. Her eyes lit up with delight over the idea that he had a hobby.

"I would love to see it." The pinkette smiled ear to ear, and it seemed to have a good effect on him.

The redhead took her hand in his, leading her to a plot located out in the burning sun. She wondered just what he was growing that didn't need at least some partial shade. When they came up on the garden she began to chuckle at what she saw.

Cacti. So many different cacti in perfect rows. She nearly snorted it was so cute.

"You have a cactus garden?" Sakura narrowed her eyes teasingly at him, making her captor shuffle awkwardly.

"Mm. I like cacti." Gaara nodded rather quickly gaining a giggle from her. "They are very resilient."

"Oh yes, you don't have to water them very often." Her giggles erupted into full laughs, and it seemed to confuse him.

"You don't like them-?"

"Oh no! I do! It's just cute that you like the prickliest plant on earth!" Sakura laughed a little more before settling into a smile. "It reminds me of you, so sharp and scary on the outside, but soft and squishy on the inside."

"Everyone is soft and squishy on the inside, except for their bones. I don't understand your point." Gaara raised up a hairless brow in question, getting her to laugh once more.

The pinkette decided to walk away from that one, and made her way over to the shade of the building. When he followed close behind she picked up her pace. With a huff he caught up to her, so she went into a jog.

Suddenly it had turned into a game, and every time he caught up to her she would just run faster. It was one of the few things she kept up on from her days as a ninja, and she had to admit that her speed had improved quite a bit.

The redhead had caught up to her once more with a smug grin on his face, but she really felt like washing it away. Focusing her chakra in her feet she ran up the side of the wall, looking back only to watch him blink dumbly at her.

"That's cheating!" His naked brows furrowed, but it didn't stop him from running up the wall after her.

Soon they were jumping rooftop to rooftop, at a speed that was not normal for the average person. She felt herself laughing with every jump, and every skillful landing.

He was a decent distance behind her now, but she suspected that he would catch up to her at any moment-

"Ghhh!" Something knocked her from the roof of a small building to the ground. Her body rolled in the burning hot sand as the air painfully left her lungs. Sakura began to hack, heaving her breath for fresh air even though it burned horribly. As something grabbed her up by her lengthy pink hair she felt a kick to her back, making her grit her teeth with a pained cry.

"Stupid leaf bitch!" Her head was thrown forward to hit the ground, making her skull bounce off the hardened sand beneath her with a hard thud. "Its forbidden for your kind to use chakra! I'll have your head for it!"

A male Suna ninja screamed at her before kicking her in the chest. She squirmed in agony over the hit to her already burning lungs.

There was no one around, there were no people here. She looked about herself to find help but no one was there.

Sakura felt herself begin to panic, even more so as the man forced her to lay on her back with a kunai at her throat.

"You have a nice body though, pretty hair too, it would be a shame to let it go to waste just so I can put your head on a spike." His kunai lowered to the ties going down her red dress. "Tell you what, you don't fight me and I'll let you live to see another day-"

A flash of red and maroon in the background had her heart calming in her chest, and a smirk growing on her face.

"How about you get your disgusting hands off of me, and 'you' can live to see another day?" The pinkette narrowed her eyes in warning, but it only served to anger the ninja.

"Konoha whore!" The nameless man raised his hand back to strike, but it never came down. He jerked a few times before realizing he was caught in a trap of sand. The look of horror that washed over him was one that made her think that he might actually piss himself, so she scurried away from him as quickly as she could.

The sand tightened, and the ninja gave a scream of pure terror.

"Gaara, don't kill him." Sakura stood up to brush herself off before looking the redhead down. He was seething with rage, and breathing heatedly through his nostrils.

"He was going to-!" Gaara's sand started to move in for the kill, she needed to stop him before he ended up painting the city walls red.

"I know very well what he was going to do to me. I want him to live with that shame instead of having the peace of death." Truth be told she just didn't want blood spilt in her name, or to watch someone be crushed to death, but the excuse was a justified one that she felt would make sense to her violent friend.

It took a moment, his fingers twitching with the desire to kill. He raised the guard up with his sand to visually dissect the man, the ninja in his clutches cowering while the redhead judged his crime. With a snarl he threw the man down the street, forcing the ninja to bounce, crack, and roll painfully along the road.

She wasn't going to lie, the payback felt great, but she also wanted Gaara's reputation to be better than what it was. The less deaths the better it would be for him.

The pinkette was actually surprised at how well she was able to persuade him, and it dawned on her that she might be able to use his influence to her advantage.

If Gaara could mature more, and become more stable, perhaps he could take charge. He had all the power backing him, all he needed was a calm hand to guide him. She could be that hand.

Maybe, just maybe, she could save the leaf, and return it to what it was...

Sakura was off in her thoughts when he approached her, and it was only when he brushed her cheek did she jolt back into reality. His hands were gentle, and his haunting eyes searched her worriedly.

"Scrapes... your bleeding." The redhead went in to lick at her cheek, which she didn't even realize was cut. The feeling of his tongue against her raw skin stung, but something about his saliva felt soothing. It were as if it healed her in some way. He pulled away, the concern still evident on his features. "Come with me."

Suddenly Gaara was tugging her along urgently, as if they were running from something.

The pinkette let him guide her in a daze through the now silent section of the city over to a set of walls with a lattice roof, and a thin curtain as a door. Inside there was a small well, many rugs, and several pillows which he helped lay her down on.

Places like this were everywhere in Suna, many people needed water or had to get out of the sun, so these small sanctuaries were made. During the burning of midday, however, quite a few people tended to stay home unable to handle the heat. It was no surprise that they were alone here, and it was probably for the best.

Another lick to her cheek had her waking up from another daydream, and suddenly she felt his fingers plucking at the ties of her dress. She tensed, feeling the familiar panic from before flood her as he hovered.

Did he isolate them on purpose? Was her moment of weakness some sort of trigger for him?

Perhaps their seclusion brought to mind the other night, and now the redhead felt an urge to act on his newfound interest.

It was only a matter of time, and Sakura had known that from the start. However, when he had looked her over with that truly enraptured expression she wasn't expecting it to be so soon. He had said that he had a discussion with Kankuro, and the pinkette was certain that whatever they had talked about had spurred Gaara on.

However, she only had herself to blame. He was willing on more than one occasion to stop what they were doing completely, but she truly did not want to see him sad. She honestly wanted him to feel good, and to be happy.

As for excuses towards promiscuity went, she deemed hers to be good enough. People will do all sorts of things for another's happiness and wellbeing. So she decided that she would not shame herself for doing what she did.

However, such events lead to others. Much like what was currently developing here.

Sakura watched nervously as the ties unraveled under his skilled fingers, opening up the dress to reveal a black lace bra that he had 'unfortunately' picked out. He dipped his hand in a bowl of cool water, then smoothed it over her chest gingerly.

The sensation had her twitching slightly, but as his hand glided up to the back of her neck as well she realized that he was only trying to cool her down. However, he kept repeating the process on her chest, and it had her a bit suspicious as to whether or not he was just trying to touch her there.

"It looks painful... all these cuts... I almost envy you." Gaara furrowed his brows, as if he was feeling her discomfort. It was a strange thing for him to say, however she knew of his ultimate defense. She also knew that he bled very rarely, let alone experienced physical pain. It wasn't a complete wonder as to why he envied her, she could do and feel many basic things that he could not.

'Like sleeping... he can't do that either... he has no physical outlets.' That thought astounded her, and she couldn't begin to fathom what it would be like to walk in his shoes.

His eyes searched her frame until he came to a scrape on the inner part of her knee. He smoothed water over the wound, but as it continued to bleed he lower his head to lap at it.

"H-hey! Stop!" The pinkette squeaked before grabbing him by the hair. He growled slightly as she pulled, but continued to lick at her wound. His head went a bit further in making her give a full squeal of panic. "Don't do that!"

The redhead looked up at her in confusion. His one arm was wrapped under her leg to lift it up, and his face was hovering near her mid inner thigh. She felt heat go to her cheeks over the sight of him in such a position, she almost wanted to look away, but she knew that if she did it would be as if she was giving him full access to do whatever he pleased.

"This bothers you?" Gaara blinked at her, and it was rather innocent. She felt bad for thinking that he was attempting to do something improper with her.

No, he obviously wasn't doing it to be sinister. He was only trying to help.

"...No... never mind, I'm just overthinking things." Sakura did look away this time, and tried to ignore him when his tongue went back to lapping at her tender skin. At one point it stung a bit, making her jolt at the sudden sharpness instead of lulling at his licking motions. He stopped for a moment to study her, and eventually returned to his previous task. The pinkette flushed once more, thinking rather darkly on what it might feel like if he moved further in, and she felt shameful for thinking it.

"You're warm." The redhead came back up to a kneeling position, but he was much closer since her legs were now open for him to move in. At that realization she instinctually went to close them, but he was still in between so it only caused them to hold his hips. He looked around himself curiously before glancing back at her with a mixed expression, and with another hard blush she opened her legs once more to allow him to move away.

He didn't, instead he moved in closer.

"W-wait... please..." The pinkette closed her eyes as he hovered over her, and didn't open them until she realized that he wasn't going any further. As she opened them his haunting orbs were there, staring at her hard in the face.

"Hold still." Gaara said just above a whisper, and moved his mouth over her own. She froze up, feeling him lick at a cut on her bottom lip before taking it into his mouth.

His lips were soft, incredibly soft. She had never noticed before how sweet they were, at the time he had only kissed her roughly, but now...

The urge to move with him was too strong, and eventually she found herself massaging her lips with his. He stilled for a moment, breathing tensely through his nostrils. She pulled away, wondering if she had pushed too far with such a bold action. It didn't seem to bother him too much, what with his eyes flickering between her jade orbs and her pursed lips, the action alone gave him away.

He leaned in carefully, pressing his own soft kiss to her lips. She returned it, forcing him to tense up again, but eventually he warmed up to it enough that he slipped his tongue inside.

'I shouldn't be doing this, it's dangerous to go further-' She argued with herself, but for some odd reason she didn't want to stop.

Sakura hummed over how gentle it felt, and how sensually he moved with her. His hand smoothed water over her chest, and neck, but she guessed that he merely did it just to touch her.

'I suppose it's fine if it's just kissing. This is okay.' Convincing herself was getting to be too easy.

The breeze through the drafty room was enough to cool her down considerably, and at last she started to feel relaxed.

That is until she felt herself get pressed down onto the pillows.

The redhead was obvious about what he was thinking, it showed especially when his fingers dusted up her uninjured thigh leaving shivers in their wake.

Sakura broke the kiss to scold him, but lost her voice when his mouth tended hungrily to her neck. She unconsciously scraped at his shoulder blades, arching into him while making a sound she was not proud of.

Her body language was telling him that she desired him, but her mind was telling her to stop immediately.

No, this had to stop. It just wasn't right.

"Gaara... please... stop this..." The pinkette panted from exertion, heat, and what she could not deny to be lust pulsing through her. His arms felt so strong, and his pressure on top of her was strangely addictive. She wanted so badly to just wrap her legs around him, and let go of whatever was holding her back.

'Stop! Stop! Stop!' Her inner self screamed, but her outer self moaned as he scraped his teeth against her jugular. His fingers curled against the base of her skull, letting her hair weave between them.

"I don't want to stop... because that man wanted to take you from me... but I don't want anyone to touch you like that." Gaara muttered against her skin. He did not sound like a man thrown into the throes of lust. If anything he merely sounded upset, and distraught. "You're mine! I don't want other men to touch you like this!"

A firm pressure on her groin had her whimpering, and as her eyes looked down she could see his maroon duster shift as he grinded against her. She was beginning to ache just from the quick glance, a flood of memories rushing through her of what had transpired the other night.

How he looked, how he felt, his shivering form and strained voice. It had her sex beginning to pulse painfully as reality struck her with the fact that he was gaining pleasure from this too.

The redhead turned her chin up to look at him, and while the action had her swooning his next kiss had completely spirited her away. It was a perfect firmness, and eager enough to show her that he wasn't just kissing her out of politeness. He truly wanted to do these things, he wanted any and all of the physical touch her person could bring.

Gaara rolled his hips again, moving against her in a way that had rubbed her just right. She mewled at the sensation, finding that it had been so incredibly long since she had taken care of her pesky hormones. His body, his pressure, and his kisses were welcome.

'Idiot! Wake up! Gaara is your enemy, and your oppressor! He's not just some misunderstood cute guy!' Her inner self screamed in warning, shaking the pinkette out of a deep trance. 'HE WAS THE ONE WHO DESTROYED YOUR VILLAGE-!'

Sakura clenched up, she was certain that she had come to terms with that fact. That he was a boy who was lost due to ostracism, and that he didn't deserve the animosity he recieved...

No she knew that fact to be true, but it didn't stop her heart from hurting. It didn't halt her tears either as she turned her head away from him.

"Please... stop." The pinkette began to cry, and felt awful when she noticed his whole entire form freeze up at her words. She could hear his breath quaking nervously above her, and she could only imagine the hurt expression on his face.

"I'm... so sorry-" It showed in his tone, that horrible guilt. It wasn't his fault.

"No, it's not your fault. This was fine... I just... I'm not mentally prepared..." Sakura reached up blindly, and thankfully found his hair before scratching her nails softly against his scalp. He allowed his body to rest on top of her, giving an almost mournful sigh.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't like the way that ninja treated you. The way he looked at you too... it makes me feel ill... and it makes me want to keep you as close as possible. My Sakura..." The redhead began to nuzzle against her neck, and just like that he quickly became that strange child wanting affection. Somehow it never failed in getting her to embrace him, or to comfort him.

Perhaps he could control her too, just like she could control him. That was a dangerous thought. Even after he had staked his possessive claim on her like some sort of property, her heart still swayed for his loneliness.

'I've been lonely for a long time too... so I suppose it would make sense.'

"Sakura... promise you won't let another man hold you like this... please." Gaara moved downwards to rest his head on her chest, making her flush over the fact that he was now nestling between her partially exposed breasts. His arms wrapped around the middle of her waist, holding himself tightly to her panting form.

"I'll try." Sakura tried to calm herself by breathing deeply, but the rise and fall of his head on her breasts only made her more aware of his proximity to her sensitive body. She knew what his mouth had felt like on them, it was what had frightened her during the start of this whole twisted relationship.

Although, he wasn't rough when he had done it. Even at that time when he had acted like a complete monster, his mouth over her chest had been disturbingly pleasant.

"No!" The redhead shouted as he held on tighter, pressing himself firmly against her plush chest. "You're mine, and I will kill anyone who tries to come between us."

'So extreme...' With a sigh she felt fatigue hit her quickly, and she thought about making some false promises just so he would leave her be. She couldn't allow herself to be tempted by him.

"No one is going to get at me, Gaara. I have you to protect me, remember?" She stroked his red hair lovingly, and like a cat he pressed himself further into the petting. She continued this motion for what seemed like eternity before passing out mid pet.

It was always this way, he wanted to be nurtured until there was no more energy left. He drained her of everything she had.

\- ... - ...

Something was cuddling up to her, and as she peeped open her sleepy eyes she realized that she was still in the rest area.

The sun had gone from burning above to burning on the horizon, drenching the world in a brilliant red. She watched the semi-sheer curtain door sway in the breeze, showing the sparkling orange sand outside shifting like a snake against the ground.

Why was it so quiet? Where were all the people at a time like this?

"Where is everyone... this street should be filled with people-" Sakura had meant to murmur it to herself, forgetting that the man holding her did not sleep. She jumped slightly when she felt his arm pull her in tight.

"A few ninja came in here earlier after you fell asleep. I wasn't in a good mood... so they evacuated the area." Gaara breathed against the back of her neck, snuggling closer even though he was already flush against her. "We are alone, and that is all that matters."

The former kunoichi felt him nuzzle into her hair, breathing in her scent before placing smooth open mouth kisses along her neck. It didn't feel invasive, or perverted, just relaxing. She allowed him to do as he pleased for the time being, going limp like a ragdoll for him to move.

"They said that you can't use chakra, that it's against the law-" The redhead murmured softly against her skin, practically purring as he kissed his way to the shell of her ear. "I told them that you are my mate, and that you can do whatever you please."

Sakura's heart nearly jumped from her chest, even more so as he bit down on her earlobe forcing her body to tremble. She didn't know what to say, she didn't know how to tell him he was wrong in thinking that.

If she denied what he wanted, would he kill her? The ideas of her home being reformed were slipping away behind the fact that she didn't think she could play such a role. What he wanted was beyond her.

"If anyone asks about you I want you to tell them that. Tell them that you are mated to me-" His lips brushed against her cheek as he moved in to kiss it, but she remained completely stunned.

"Gaara... you didn't discuss this with me first." The pinkette spoke as gently as she could, but it still made him tense despite her extreme caution.

"You told me no other man shall touch you." Gaara croaked while clutching at the center of her chest. She would have thought it perverse had she not recognized that he was only trying to grasp at her heart.

"I did, and I meant what I said-"

"So if only I can touch you then that makes you my mate." The redhead argued. She gave an exasperated sigh before she could stop the action, and instantly regretted it. "Am I wrong? Are you lying to me-?"

"No! It's just I didn't say you could touch me either." Sakura huffed with irritation, knowing that the gesture was too casual between them as he forced her body to lay flat on her back. He hovered over her with a hard stare, his glowing eyes searching her face for answers.

"How can you say that when we have done so much together? We have ate together, bathed together, held each other in the night while I watched over you... it is no longer just me, it is us!" Gaara gave a pained expression before throwing his fist into the pillows next to her head. She jolted at how powerful it was, making a hard slamming sound even against fabric. "Oh, now you think I will hurt you?! I can't hurt you! I don't want to! I lo-...!"

The redhead paused with a frightened expression while she was still drinking in what he had almost let slip. It took a long moment of silence, and staring into his horrified seafoam eyes before she finally accepted what had happened.

The beast had fallen in love with her. Gaara of the sand, the prince of night terrors had been roped in by a meager leaf kunoichi. By Sakura, a girl with no talents. She wouldn't have believed it had he not carried such a anxious demeanor.

"I don't... I don't love you. That wasn't what I was trying to say." His eyes narrowed threateningly, as if challenging her to try to say otherwise.

Why did that cut her so deeply?

The pinkette simply nodded before turning her head emotionlessly the side. The sand had begun to turn red, while the sky outside was reaching a hue of purple. The red grains continued to slither like crimson snakes just outside the semi sheer curtain, silently moving against the warm ground.

"It's a beautiful evening..." Sakura whispered while her eyes unfocused on the world around her. As she felt his fingers trace her cheek her body jolted at the unforeseen touch. However she chose to stay still, allowing him to find comfort in her.

"Yes... beautiful..." Gaara crooned while tracing his smooth thumb over her bottom lip, clearly lost in some sort of trance. "Perfect, even when doused in red..."

Her breath quivered as the same hand moved down her jawline to trace to the back of her head. He lowered his lips to her exposed neck, kissing gingerly along her jugular.

Perhaps this time she should just let him do it, maybe she'll actually hear him say it. Those three words that she desperately wanted to hear from literally anyone-

Footsteps from outside were heard trekking down the gritty road, bringing red dust with them as they stopped outside the doorway. Gaara didn't stop regardless of how much he stiffened, in fact his arms wrapped possessively around Sakura's frame before kissing down to her exposed collar bone.

"Gaara." A male voice from outside echoed before opening the curtain, receiving a growl from the redhead as he clenched her smaller form tighter. It was an intimidating jounin with a scarf draped around half of his features, the exposed half painted with red claw marks. "The council would like to speak with you."

"Tell them that I am busy." Gaara hissed, but the older nin shook his head.

"You can tend to your concubine later-"

"SHE'S NOT A CONCUBINE!" The redhead roared, sand immediately coming forward to pierce the jounin only to be blown away by a blade of wind. Gaara shook with rage, his breath heaving wildly as his hand thrust forward for another attack.

Without thinking she grabbed his wrist, halting the attack dead before it reached the older ninja. The two men stared at her in shock, but she turned her soft smile onto Gaara.

"It's not important, Gaara. You know what I am, and that's all that matters." She knew he had taken it the wrong way the second his eyes had widened, but at least it had him calm, and moving forward with what the village needed him to do.

He stared at her for the longest time, searching her eyes desperately for some sort of unknown purchase. Suddenly he kissed her so quickly that she didn't anticipate it, leaving her to touch at her mouth the second he left her form.

"Baki, I will go if you escort her back to the palace." The redhead went stony, his eyes losing any emotion they had contained just seconds ago, the jounin nodded sagely before beckoning the pinkette to follow.

"Come, girl. I will take you back now." Baki crossed his arms, waiting patiently for her to follow his orders. Deep in thought she finally stood, and dragged her feet as this man led her back home.

\- ... - ...

"Gaara is quite taken with you, I've never seen him grow so infatuated with another person." Baki spoke softly, but loud enough to hear as they walked up the staircase. She didn't feel like talking to him at the moment, if anything she wished to just be alone for a while. "I assume he'll need a proper space for you. Having you in his quarters all the time is not proper for a concubine-"

"We don't have sex, so please don't call me his concubine." Sakura gritted her teeth, feeling more insulted by the second. The jounin stopped dead in his tracks before turning his head slightly.

"That will have to change, the council certainly won't allow him to take a former leaf ninja as his bride. It would be best if you had a more understandable relationship less they try to expel you from this place." Baki spoke as if it were a warning, continuing to lead her up the stairs. She chose to ignore him, feeling that Gaara's word was more enforced than the council's.

However, the mention of her being his 'bride' instead of his concubine had her on edge. She couldn't tell what was worse.

Sakura went to walk down the hall to Gaara's room, only to be snatched up by the wrist. She turned to see the jounin staring at her with narrowed eyes.

"Your place is upstairs. Do not argue." Baki gave her wrist a tug, but it didn't take much to have her following him.

Her own room, it sounded tempting, and wonderful. However, there was something inside her that told her that this was a mistake. Something about it felt wrong.

The next flight of stone stairs led her to her new quarters. Beyond a strong wooden door lay a beautiful bed of silks and soft cotton, the stone floor covered completely in plush rugs, a large stone bath against the wall with many fine oils and soaps, and the ceiling was clad in sheer draping fabrics of purples, reds, pinks, and golds. It was a luxurious room for sure.

It also looked extremely clean, as if it had never been touched.

"This is where you shall stay from now on, and perform your duties." The jounin walked over to the deep walk in closet concealed by a curtain. Shuffling of fabric was heard until he exited with a folded fresh set of clothes.

"What duties? As far as I'm concerned there have been no rules laid out for me-" Sakura tensed as silk clothes were placed into her hands.

"Change into these, and then you will hand over your civilian clothes." Baki pointed to the closet expectantly. Not wanting to make waves she followed his order, and entered the closet behind the curtain.

'This is just going to make Gaara upset...'

As she started to change she realized that the clothes were a two piece set. A red satin strapless brazier draped with sheer purple fabric, and low hip hugging red satin underwear with the same sheer purple fabric acting as a harem pant. She felt like she was supposed to be some sort of pretty genie, stuck in its bottle waiting for their master to make a wish. She assumed that's how it was supposed to play out too.

'Disgusting.'

Once dressed she exited the closet with her clothes in hand, shoving them at the jounin in frustration.

"He won't play into this, you know. It's not his 'kink'." The pinkette barked proudly before crossing her arms over her exposed cleavage. The outfit was far too scandalous, and she was too embarrassed to be stared at.

"Put your hair up in a ponytail, please." Baki remained unphased, and with an incredulous scoff at being ignored she stomped over to what seemed to be a vanity by the window. She sat down grabbing a brush to violently rip through her medium long hair. Once brushed up into a high pony the pink locks just barely tickled above her shoulders. "I encourage that you use protection when tending to Gaara. A pregnancy will not be tolerated-"

"Get the fuck out of my room." Sakura stared at her reflection bitterly, the pretty things were not meant for her but rather they were meant to flatter her for the man who held claim over her life. She couldn't stand the jounin's presence anymore, and when he refused to move she picked up a sharp decorative comb throwing it at him with impressive precision. However, he deflected it with a kunai of his own just as flawlessly. "GET OUT!"

The pinkette had never screamed in such a raw way, and it actually made the man before her blink in surprise at her animosity. It took a moment, but he finally bowed his head, and left; locking the door behind him.

Sakura scurried over to the bed, wrapping herself in a blanket before hugging her knees to cry. She never wanted to become a concubine, and yet now it seemed that she was being forced to despite the title that Gaara had given her.

It was all up to him now whether he would change this outcome for her, or accept this turn of events as leaning in his favor.

\- …. - …

"She is a former leaf genin! It would shame not only your family lineage, but our village's reputation!"

"You cannot have her living with you! It is forbidden!"

"Look at what she made you do to one of our own! Convincing you to take out our own military!"

"She is just using you for her own benefit. Leaf kunoichi may be beautiful, but they are deadly tricksters."

"The only merit she brings is her warmth in your bed, leave it at that!"

"Make her a proper concubine, it will be more honorable for you both if you do."

"She is not your 'mate', nor will we ever allow for you to marry an outsider!"

Many words seemed to be thrown around, but Gaara just stood there completely straight faced. He was actually hearing them, he just didn't care.

"She will convince you to defy your village if you allow her false wiles to dwindle at your heart-!"

"How idiotic." The redhead finally spoke, his dry voice silencing the entire room.

"You think her influence will be enough to get me to kill everyone, when that is something I have always desired to begin with. I only keep you all alive because it entertains me to watch everyone scramble to provide me with an early death. Nice job on that, I'm a constant reminder of your failures as well as your successes."

Many of the council went wide eyed at his declaration, and he felt a dark laugh bubble out of him.

"Sakura actually convinced me to spare your precious lap dog. Yes, she is a fickle and demonic woman indeed-"

"Do not jest! He was not the only victim! You have already killed another!" An older man, Gaara had not bothered to remember his name, spoke vehemently. He was always so noisy, this old bastard. It had the redhead turning his eyes slowly towards him, reveling in the fear that washed over his features.

"I killed a man that attempted to fuck with my things. We have a law for that, yes? Whoever steals from their neighbor shall experience a swift death. Theft, and destruction of property is not tolerated." Gaara practically purred he was so smug, but the older man began to sputter.

"HOW DARE YOU PERVERT OUR LAWS-!"

"-A guard attempted to steal a life from me. The second that she was put in my care her life became mine, and he had a knife at her throat." The redhead raised his voice slightly, and the tone was enough to shut the man in front of him up. "Who knows if he had other plans for her aside from murder, but even so her body is mine as well. Had I caught him in the midst of stealing her virginity I would have ran a stake through his body, and left him naked out in the burning sun to die of burns and blood loss."

"My lord, certainly that is a bit extreme..." A younger man pressed, but once again the name of this person was lost on Gaara. However, he knew he had a teenage daughter.

"What would you do if I went into your daughter's room, held her down with a knife, and fucked her while she screamed and bled?" The redhead allowed his eyes to grow stern, and the man along with the whole council withered under his hard stare, and harsher words.

"I would... forgive me, but I would kill you-" The man was soft spoken, but at least he was honest.

"In the worst way you could think of, yes?" Gaara pressed, and when the man nodded he felt a smile tug on his lips. "I believe I have proved my point. Don't touch my things, or I will kill you."

"The fact remains that you cannot have a romantic relationship with her! We forbid it-!" That noisy old man again...

"All I can say is that you can try to stop me, but if you intend any harm on her I will kill you. I will continue to do as I please, with or without your permission. I really don't care. She shall be known as my mate from this day onward, and anyone who refers to her as a consort or concubine will find themselves buried in the dunes." Gaara was feeling rather smart at the start of his demands, but then he felt his animosity return. "Do not disrespect me, and especially do not disrespect her. You will regret it, and will wish for the death that I will not provide. There will be no mercy."

The council was left stunned, and frightened. Feeling that he had made his terms known well enough he turned to walk out of the room. A few whispers were heard as his back was turned, and they spoke lowly of him, but thankfully they no longer were speaking about her.

It was only a matter of time though. The redhead would definitely kill at least one of them before the week was through.

"Wow, I've never seen you get so talkative." Kankuro was leaning against the wall with a full grin. Apparently the puppet master had arrived to watch the show, and appreciated the scene that had unfolded before him. "You really love her."

"'Love' is a strong word. I enjoy her presence, conversation, and her physical appearance. I do not consider that to be in the spectrum of 'love'-'" Gaara argued as he walked past, but his older brother seemed to follow in step with him rather quickly.

"You'd kill for her. You'd fight the entire council for her. The entire village even! That's more than just a crush, dude. You full on love Sakura-" Kankuro started to giggle like an idiot, and it instantly got on the younger's nerves.

"Wipe that stupid grin off your face, I do not love her-!"

"And I don't wear face paint. This is all natural." The puppet master bit back, shocking the redhead with his boldness. "Look, I'm not making fun of you. I think it's great that you love her. That's a first for you, and I can tell she's made you into a more positive person. Despite what the council says I think she's a great influence on you."

Kankuro patted Gaara's shoulder gently, making the younger brother flinch slightly at the gentle touch.

"So... what was that 'virginity' stuff you were talking about? You trying to say something, huuuh?" The puppeteer snickered as he nudged his brother with a sharp elbow. The response from the redhead was to simply push his brother away from him.

"Some stuff happened, but nothing that intense-" Gaara admitted quietly, and to his surprised his brother became absolutely giddy.

"What?! You have to tell me what happened! I need those dirty-birdy details!" Kankuro grabbed his brother by the shoulder again, only this time he attempted to guide them into a walk.

It was weird that the redhead didn't fight back, he was mostly just considering whether or not it was something worth talking about, and his steps naturally began moving forward.

"Well, I was planning on executing what we had discussed earlier on my own, but she had grown suspicious. I told her that I had wanted to be alone, and she found it strange as I had no desire for time alone in the past." Gaara began, noting that they were walking down to the living quarters.

"So I tried lying about it, but I'm not very good at keeping things from her. For some reason it just feels awkward. However, after several minutes of bickering I revealed that you and I had a conversation that had changed my point of view on things. I did not disclose what he talked about, obviously."

Kankuro nodded his head as he took in the information, remaining respectfully quiet.

"I told her that distance was best, she claimed it was counter productive and that she desired to know what my problems were with her staying around. That's when I just... stared at her. I don't know why it was so strong, but I wanted to kiss her..."

The redhead gave an exasperated sigh, as if he were reliving the moment.

"She changed her mind, I had obviously alerted her, but I begged her to stay. I just wanted her nearby since I didn't know what I was doing exactly. Her presence gives me peace of mind..."

The puppet master leaned forward to unlock his door before waving the redhead in silently. His attention was still obviously interested in the conversation at hand.

Gaara found a chair almost immediately to sit down in, and laced his fingers anxiously as he rested his elbows on his knees.

"She stayed, and she was plain in the fact that she knew what I was planning to do. I didn't expect her to practically pull me into that shower, or guide my own hands-"

"Woah! Wait wait wait- you're tell me she didn't just stand there for it? She fucking initiated it?!" Kankuro stopped in his tracks as he made his way over to the other chair across from his brother in the center of his bedroom. His face was washed with disbelief.

"I don't really know who it was who initiated, I just know she was adamant about me seeing it through to the end. At one point I had wanted to stop, as it felt too strange for me, but she practically forced me to continue despite my discomfort." The redhead saw how his brother's eyes continued to widen, and felt a bit of guilt for painting her like some sort of pervert. "I mean, I obviously was still in the mood, and I honestly could have stopped her from moving my hand-"

"Dude. Marry this girl, she's got a secret kinky side I just know it." The puppeteer grinned devilishly, making the younger brother flush a bit.

"What the hell does 'kinky' mean?!" Gaara snapped, waking the older brother up to the fact that he was not amused by his strange terms.

"Bro, chill. Being kinky is a good thing. It's just sort of like unconventional sexual tastes. Like maybe she wants to get tied up, or she can tie you up too if that's your thing-"

"How the fuck am I supposed to know what my interests are? I just barely got through an introduction!" The redhead grew more frustrated, throwing his head into his hands. His brother was quick to hush his outbursts, but he was being gentle about it.

"It's okay, you've obviously been kept out of the loop. I could give you my opinion until the cows come home, but to be honest I don't think my opinions are going to benefit you much." Kankuro gave his brother a small reassuring smile that left the younger tilting his head in confusion. "Let's go on a field trip, shall we?"

\- ... - ... -

Gaara blinked as he looked about the room, finding the women inside to be more distracting then the actual fine decor. For some odd reason this seemed to make his older brother grin like an idiot.

"While you've been acting like a recluse, I decided to pick up some chicks. Welcome to the harem-!"

"You picked us up? Puh-lease! You wish we came willingly!" A blonde woman immediately stomped towards them wearing a rather revealing outfit. She looked like one of those suggestive dancers he had seen in the taverns, the ones that moved their waists in rather hypnotic ways. However, he understood now what the purpose of the aesthetic was.

"Aw, babe. Don't be like that..." Kankuro played up his puppy eyes, but it seemed to have no effect on the strong female in front of them.

"Shut your manwhore mouth! Do you understand how fucking boring it is in here?! It's sad that the only entertainment I get is when you decide you want to get busy!" The concubine screeched at her master, and while her complete disrespect had Gaara furrowing his naked brows it seemed that his brother was more than amused.

"So, what you're saying is that you missed me?" The puppetmaster grinned as his younger brother gaped at the fact that he had come to such a farfetched conclusion.

"Don't leave me waiting again, or else I'll slap you." The blonde huffed, making the smile on her owner's face grow ear to ear. "So, any reason as to why this guy is here, or are you just experimenting with your questionable sexuality?"

"Hey now! It's not like that. This is my little brother, Gaara-" As he waved a hand towards the younger the blonde instantly paled. Her demeanor went from playful to stiff in an instant.

"I see. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Lord Gaara. My name is Ino Yamanaka" The woman carefully bowed, and for some reason it seemed to have Kankuro blinking in shock.

This was obviously not a normal behavior from her, and it made the redhead feel a bit guilty.

"Um... yeah. Anyways, he needs some advice from a woman's standpoint. He's trying to court, and I can only do so much." The puppet master gave a nervous laugh cueing the blonde to glare at him. "Pretty please? I'll take you out tomorrow-"

"Deal! Alright then, Gaara, why don't you come with me. We can have a nice chat on the bed." Ino instantly warmed up to Gaara, leaving him perplexed at the sudden attitude change. Her arm slipped through his own as if she were made of water, and her gliding walk had her leading him with intrigue. As they sat down on the bed she flipped her hair with a sultry smile, then abruptly let it fall as she narrowed her eyes at Kankuro. "Why don't you actually do something useful for once, and make some tea."

'So bossy...' The redhead felt himself recoil a bit as he watched her exchange words with his older brother. However, he was shocked at how obedient the puppeteer was to her demands. He even went about his tasks with a smile on his face. 'I hope Sakura doesn't turn out this way...'

"So, you're courting huh? That's really cute!" Ino smiled sweetly for him, and for some reason he felt calmed by it. "You're probably a hopeless romantic. I know these things, I'm very intuitive."

Even though Gaara stayed majorly silent, he had many thoughts pass through his head.

'Vain' Happened to be one of them, although it sort of suited her.

"I bet you're a real wildcat in the bedroom too, the stoic ones always are." The blonde's eyes sized him up for a moment before slipping him a wink. It was an odd behavior, but it oddly left him blushing.

"I wouldn't know, I haven't gotten that far-" He had started to say, but her strange gasping-squeal cut him off leaving him blinking owlishly.

"Oh my god, that is adorable! I envy the girl who gets to break you in-!"

"AHEM!" Kankuro was suddenly standing next to them with a tray in hand. While the redhead was at a loss for words she seemed to have more than enough attitude for the both of them.

"You can put it over there." Ino pointed to the bedside table with an apathetic expression. Finally his older brother was starting to sour, and practically slammed down the tray on the table's surface. "I like making him jealous, he gets so fiery afterwards."

"And that... pleases you?" Gaara finally spoke, gaining a mischievous glance in return.

"I like it hard, and he's a bit of a tender heart when it comes to sex. So yeah, I like it when he's got a fire under his ass." The blonde was so incredibly shameless that it left him at a loss for words. Somehow she took it positively. "You should really cater to a woman during sex, if she's not getting off then you are doing it wrong."

At that statement he felt himself sink a bit. The other night was fantastic for him, however Sakura was adamant about not receiving anything.

"What if the woman doesn't want to be touched, but is more than willing to help the man in his sexual endeavors?" The redhead asked shyly, feeling awkward over asking a stranger such things. However, Ino seemed to be in an understanding mood.

"She sounds uncertain about it, but probably still wants to do things with you. I'm going to assume it's her moral standing that's getting in the way." The blonde theorized, and he felt as if her hypothesis was right on the money. "If that's the case just keep trying. Stop if she absolutely needs to, but then pick it up again later. Don't be discouraged just because she's a prude, even the most virtuous of people can break with enough work."

"That sounds manipulative." Gaara frowned, and Ino laughed it off before placing a gentle hand on his knee.

"Maybe, but as long as you stop when she tells you to it's not that bad. Just don't guilt her into it, that's not cool." The blonde gave him another flattering smile, and for some reason it reminded him of Sakura.

Her expression changed then to something a bit sneakier.

"If you'd like, we can do a practice run." Ino's lashes lowered, and that distracting hand on his knee traveled upward just the slightest.

"Alright, that's enough! Leave the poor guy alone!" Kankuro swept in before his younger brother could even react to the strange attention. He had never been treated in such an odd way before, and yet he kind of liked it.

However, he could tell that his older brother was not the least bit happy about the concubine's behavior.

"Aw, can't I play with him a little bit? He's so inexperienced, and it's cute-!"

"No, you can't play with him! He's off limits!" Kankuro practically pulled the redhead up by his arm before leaning in to glare at the blonde. "We are going to have a chat about this when I get back-"

"Bite me, bitch." Ino pushed his face away from her before slipping away. The sway in her hips, and general calmness seemed to explain all of her disrespectful behavior.

The way Kankuro clenched his jaw was a telling sign as well. Perhaps it would be best if he left.

"There's no need to walk me out, I'll let you take care of this." Gaara put on a false face of scrutiny before turning away from his brother. "You should really discipline her more, she treats you like a lowly mutt when you are in fact a mighty wolf-"

"I know how to treat my women, Gaara." The slight growl in his voice was almost territorial, and it was something that the redhead understood quite well.

"Obviously not. She's definitely desiring a dominate mate, which you are failing to live up to." Gaara turned his head just the slightest to view the puppeteer, seeing his anger roll off of him. "Perhaps some rope would help in breaking her? Maybe even a firm scolding with a heavy hand."

Kankuro seemed to go dumbfounded at this, and with a smirk the redhead vacated the area finding that his work here was finished.

A scream in the distance could be heard as he trekked down the hall, and it would have worried him had he not heard the laughter afterwards.

The redhead felt that he was getting educated enough in the subject now, and his confidence was beginning to show.

He had told off the council, learned a few new suggestive things, and even played a rather risky hand in nudging his brother into properly pleasing his current interest.

Yes, Gaara felt the confidence surge. He was on fire tonight, and nothing was going to stop him from showing Sakura just what she was missing out on.

As he got to his room he saw that she wasn't there. However he could smell her scent clearly due to the bijuu's instincts. He followed her scent up a flight of stairs, leading to a room he had never been in before. As he turned the handle and peaked in he noticed how similar it was to Kankuro's harem quarters.

Her protective hold on herself was what he noticed first, but as she practically jumped off the bed to run towards him he realized just what she was wearing...

Gaara swallowed hard, and tensed as she held onto him desperately.

This was going to be a difficult night... 


	6. Chapter 6

Hours went by, and she did not eat. It had grown late into the night, and she had not slept. There was nothing to do but wait. At least in Gaara's room there were books to read.

The lock unlatched loudly on the door alerting Sakura to entry. Her head shot up to find the one person that she had been waiting for, and he looked at her curiously as if to say 'what are you doing here?'

The pinkette didn't know why she was so happy to see him. It could just be the idea of loneliness that had got her so worked up, yet her heart genuinely warmed at the idea of going back with him.

To be with him, to be in his company was her only wish at the moment.

Before Sakura knew it, she was bursting out from under the protection of her blankets. She ran over to the stoic redhead, and the second her chest collided with his own she started to cry. To her he was the only person who seemed to be on her side at all times, and he made her feel safe.

She sobbed into the crook of his neck, feeling him tense awkwardly underneath her weight. With a nervous inhale his arms wrapped hesitantly around her frame. He was cautious at first, but then he quickly pulled her tight to him as they both grew accustomed to it.

"Gaara... get me out of here... please!" Sakura cried desperately, savoring the feeling of his hands smoothing over her barely clothed back. His fingertips were just as soft as the rest of him.

"You wish to stay with me then?" Gaara asked gently, his tone almost brotherly. Surprisingly her first reaction was to nod eagerly, and she knew her eagerness stirred something in him by how his grip tightened. "You shall have what you desire, please don't cry anymore..."

Despite what he had asked her to not do the pinkette still continued to cry onto his shoulder. He was here, and she didn't have to be locked in this room of shame anymore. They could go back to his room, where the only judges they had were themselves. At the thought she cried even harder with relief.

Growing concerned he ushered her back over to the bed, only leaving to grab a glass of water for her to drink. She watched him as he moved, his maroon duster fluttered majestically leaving her entranced just by his gate alone. No longer was there a quiet padding to his step, but rather his walk was confident.

She studied him more as he filled the glass at the tap of the sink near the luxurious stone bath. His grip was firm on the glass, his posture near perfect in everything he did. Something about him was off, but she actually didn't mind it.

The redhead turned to cross the room once more, barely making the water in the glass move as he approached.

God, he was stunning. Truly a beautiful young man, how had she not realized before just how attractive he actually was? Was she blinded by his hatred and malice? Now that he was being so kind to her, she almost didn't know how to feel about it. She just hoped it wasn't Stockholm syndrome.

Falling for your captor... well how many people could claim that their captor was this handsome? She chalked it up to just finally recognizing his good traits.

Gaara began to slow in his approach as his expression grew curious. He watched her watch him, and as strange as it sounded he was just as studious as she was about the situation. He finally handed her the water, and she took it from him slowly while her fingers traced over his own for the barest of moments. He blinked, and awkwardly cleared his throat before turning away from her, breaking out of the strange dream they had put themselves in.

"The council will have no say in my relationship with you. I made that perfectly clear tonight." While the words 'relationship' should have alerted her, all she could think about was just how he had made his point.

"Did you... kill one of them?" Sakura took a long sip of her water as he turned to address her.

"No, but my threats are just as frightening. However they are convinced that you should live as a concubine rather than play at marriage-"

"I don't want to live in this room. I'd rather live in your quarters." The pinkette felt her grip on the glass tightening as another wave of anger flourished. She surprised herself over how she wasn't more afraid of him even uttering the word 'marriage' in front of her, but her focus was more based around the fact that the council truly wanted her to be his whore instead of his partner.

"I've never been in this room before." Gaara broke the silence while his hauntingly aquatic eyes dissected the space, he began to wander over to the night stand to look at the bottles placed there. She cringed as he picked one up to visually dissect it. "What are these things?"

He seemed to be absolutely clueless, and while it surprised her she also found it to be a rather normal response from him. He was a killer, not a 'lover'. How was he to know that the bottles were oils and lubricants for nefarious activities?

No, Gaara was innocent in that department. Completely untouched by sins of the flesh as no one had ever wanted to touch him. It was also why he was so fascinated by her, because she was unafraid to get close. She was unafraid to guide his hands…

"This space is meant for me to act as your whore." The pinkette spat venomously at the thought of it. He looked back to her with a raised brow, and for some odd reason her temper flared. It were as if she wanted him to know that she was more than this. "Those bottles are for my 'duties', so says the precious council. Pretty things to enhance my 'services' as a lowly concubine!"

Without thinking she threw the glass across the room, watching it shatter against the wall. It felt good at the moment, but now she no longer had water to drink.

The redhead remained emotionless. His gaze became so piercing that she felt the need to cover herself, and turn completely away from him on the bed. A swish of fabric was heard first before warm hands came up behind her, and embraced her bare waist lovingly.

Sakura's breath hitched at the feeling of his smooth fingertips dragging across her sensitive skin. His touch left tingles in its wake, and his chest warmed her back as he properly situated himself on the bed with her.

"My mate cannot be caged, nor can she be tamed. Your wild nature shows." The redhead spoke just above a whisper while he nuzzled against her bare shoulder, pecking it gently. The pinkette's figure shivered in his arms as his warm breath flayed against her creamy skin. "While I don't mind the idea of using this space, I will not have this room become your destiny. Your place is by my side... always..."

"Gaara... that's..." Sakura's heart was pounding loudly in her chest. His words were strange, comforting, and romantic. She didn't know whether to turn him away, or allow him to stay where he was. It were as if a spell was cast over her.

"I want you close to me, always within my reach. I will protect you like I protect myself. You are a part of me now." As his arms around her tightened she felt that familiar anxiety rise up once more. His tone was desperate, and yet also commanding at the same time. It was frightening her, as well as igniting a flame she thought she had lost.

"Gaara, I'm not... I'm not ready..." The pinkette trembled unable to deny the warm feelings in her chest over how he spoke so highly of her. The beast who had only ever loved himself now loved her just as much, and while it scared her it also made her feel so incredibly important. It made her feel loved, and needed. Cherished.

"I know. It's obvious that you are uncomfortable with how close I like to get. I will not enter you without your permission." Gaara hummed against her skin, yet despite saying such things his hands still wandered over her curves. Her body jolted at the contact, not expecting him to become so bold in such a short amount of time.

'Wait... what was this about not entering me?' The gears in her head started to move, and she realized that he seemed to have some rather suggestive ideas for the evening that he obviously planned on executing.

"However, please do not forget that I am a man, and you are so incredibly beautiful." The redhead made himself crystal clear about his intentions by moving his hand over her breast, and squeezed lightly at the mound. She whimpered anxiously, squirming in his grip before his other hand grabbed at the breast that was unattended.

"W-wait..." Sakura huddled forward as she breathed her words, trying to protect herself from his roaming fingers. Growing frustrated he manhandled her by the waist, hoisting her further onto the bed before twisting to pin her beneath him. His eyes drank in her image greedily as he began to pant. However this only spurred her to panic.

"You said you wouldn't-!"

"-I said I wouldn't enter you, and I will stay true my word." The redhead lowered his lips to her own, beckoning her mouth to open for him. When one of his hands squeezed at her now sensitive mounds she accidentally gasped, and he slid his tongue along her own sensually. Her whole frame quaked from the pleasant yet forceful action, leaving her to open her mouth further to reciprocate his kiss.

What was she doing? She wasn't fighting him at all like she had thought she would. For some reason she felt herself become washed in his energy, and her body desperately wanted to join him.

Through the fabric of the thin satin brazier his thumb ran over a perked nipple, the shockingly pleasurable sensation had her arching into his hand like cat while she mewled against his heated mouth. His lips broke away for the barest of moments to give a breathy laugh, the sound alone had her whole being electrified.

This wasn't supposed to happen, their relationship wasn't supposed to be like this. Yet he had her becoming putty in his talented hands. He was working her up to a place she knew she wouldn't be able to come down from very easily, and yet she was strangely fine with that.

The last time she had 'relieved' herself was before she had even arrived, and it had been weeks since that time making her wonder if the build up was causing something chaotic in her. Bathing with him, falling asleep to him holding her...

Enjoying it immensely as he experimented with himself... made everything clear to her.

There was fear over him being aroused by her, fear over her getting too close to him, fear of him touching her in a way she knew would feel good. Every thought about him, regardless of whether it had her anxious or not, had sex involved. It was always subconsciously on her mind, and when his eyes would find her across the room she felt that feeling multiply tenfold.

When he cried out her name in pleasure she had felt it ring inside her.

Gaara was far too handsome for his own good. He was dangerous, and possessive, but she found those to be strangely charming qualities rather than turn offs. He seemed to respect her, claimed to love her, or at least she believed he did. She was clearly attracted to him. Invested even.

So would it be wrong for her to let them have a bit of intimacy? She already allowed for him to kiss her, bathe with her, lay next to her as he pleased, and remained present during what should be private moments. She wanted more, secretly she knew that, but didn't want to admit it.

But the facts were there, she desired him. She wanted him badly.

Sakura's body felt hot, and the redhead was beginning to press down on her like he had earlier. He rested himself between her legs, his hand running up her lifted thigh to slip under her backside.

"Your body is so different from mine, it's so soft... delicate... beautiful." He went back in to kiss her further, hungrily devouring her lips with his own while she began to match him move for move. It was hypnotic, even more so as her tongue danced with his. His fingers dragged along her frame once more, leaving her shaking with need.

Gaara's touch felt good, and she couldn't deny that fact. The more his hands wandered she wished he would stroke between her thighs. He came dangerously close once or twice, but went right back to her bottom, or her inner thigh, or down to her knee. It had her wanting to scream at him, but instead she bit at his lip tugging hard as a statement.

With a groan he pulled away from her, his eyes darting around her face searching for something. He finally focused in on her eyes, and let out a truly shaken breath.

"You're... aroused..." His coal rimmed eyes went from disbelief to lidded as he ingested that information. She blushed at the comment, assuming that her eyes must have been dilated enough for him to truly notice. Without answering she shamefully turned her head to the side, and tried to calm herself down.

Having it pointed out to you so blatantly was embarrassing. She felt almost like a bitch in heat, waiting excitedly for the male to mount her. At the thought she flushed darker, and gave a bashful groan before hiding her face in her hands.

"There's no need to be embarrassed. I was only surprised is all, I figured you to find me... a monster. Even though you allow me to do such things to you... I was not expecting any form of attraction-"

"Well you're handsome, there, I said it. Are you happy now?" Sakura huffed stubbornly while pulling her hands away to glare at him. Seafoam eyes pierced through blackened lids, staring straight into her. He bit his lip for a moment, and her eyes darted to it before he disappointingly let it go leaving a smirk behind.

"I am happy you find me attractive, as I certainly feel the same for you." Gaara spoke just above a whisper while trailing his fingers down the center of her chest, smoothing it's way down to her satin bottoms. They were already tight to her form, so when she felt his fingers drag over the surface she let out a needy whimper.

The redheads eyes caught hers in an instant making her feel guilty for the sound she had produced, but with a hairless furrowed brow he stroked her once more, obviously enticed by the noises she made.

It was shameful, but the pinkette couldn't stop herself from making more room for him between her thighs. She let herself become vulnerable, and open, trusting in him to keep his promise. His haunting gaze kept catching her staring at him, every time she would flush a deeper shade, but she couldn't look away.

Gaara finally leaned in to lay half of his body on top of her. His lips found her neck first, nipping at it while his bated breath flayed heatedly against the skin. With one forearm holding himself up slightly for security the other hand stroked at her folds through the tightened satin, teasing her while also providing her with just enough pleasure that she could eventually finish if she wanted. Soon she found herself writhing at the sensation, accidentally whining here and there out of a desire for more.

"Does it feel good?" The redhead asked carefully, unsure of whether or not he was doing it right. While she nodded in answer her hand still went south to join his own. She guided him over the sensitive bundle of nerves that gave her the most pleasure, and as he concentrated his efforts there she bucked against his hand with a harsh mewl.

Gaara seemed to be rather fascinated, pausing in his necking to watch her react once more. She blushed, turning her face away she placed her hand over her mouth to whine against it.

The redhead blinked at her for a moment before his eyes roamed downwards to where his fingers stroked her. He tensed at something, and pulled his hand away from her quick enough to make her whimper needily. Her body was begging him to return, but he just continued to look at his hand while he rubbed his fingers together experimentally.

They slid against each other with ease.

"D-don't!" Sakura tried reaching for his hand, and as she moved she felt her bottoms slip against her slick folds. Her sex was pulsing hard, wanting badly to finish what was started. Thankfully so did he, but his desires were a bit different.

"It's so slippery..." Gaara brought the fingers to his lips, but the pinkette swiftly yanked them away.

"Don't do that!" She shrieked, but his strength outdid her. Still clinging to his arm he managed to pull her forward with it. Staring her hard in the eyes he let his tongue dart out to lap at the digits sinfully, leaving her gaping at the action. Something about her open mouth had him interested, and he reached with the same shameful hand to run his thumb along her bottom lip.

Instantly enticed by the motion her own tongue also darted out to lap at the digit, watching him closely as she took it into her mouth. His eyes glossed over as she swirled her tongue around it, and moved his thumb in a way she knew any man could recognize.

His shaking exhale affirmed that theory, and his expression showed some form of longing even after she pulled away.

"So cruel..." Gaara panted, and it actually had her giggling over how completely smitten he had become. As his face darkened she knew that everything was about to change.

The redhead violently yanked off her top, exposing her breasts. With a shriek the pinkette backed her way up into the pillows, turning onto her stomach to hide her face and chest in them. Hands stroked at her sides, and clawed down her lower back.

Gaara was completely serious now it seemed. Suddenly her hips were brought back until she was forced onto her hands and knees, but she refused to lift up her chest. The satin fabric covering her lower half was yanked down her thighs revealing her treasure for him. With another shriek she covered up her heated folds, trying to conceal her sex as he pushed her over to lay on her back once more while he truly removed her 'pants'. She kicked a bit at the feeling of getting stripped down, but it did nothing to stop him.

It was truly embarrassing, being fully naked and prodded by his starving eyes. He was panting, looking almost violent with the lust that had consumed him. She yelped as he ripped her protective hands away from between her thighs.

"Wait!" The pinkette cried out, but when his hand smoothed over her slickened sex she mewled in pleasure. She squirmed, and writhed as he started his ministrations, completely entranced by the scene before him.

"It's so hot... and wet..." Gaara's husky tone echoed in her ears while his fingers worked sinful circles around her sensitive nub, the other hand reached forward to grope firmly at one of her breasts. Her entire body rolled with a harsh moan, wanting to add more pressure to everywhere he touched. She was now shameless in her movements, and felt her shyness melt away behind a mask of ecstasy. "You like this, don't you? You're enjoying this... you like how I make you feel."

"Hnn...yess..." Sakura whined lustfully, and felt him shiver. Despite her current state she could hear him breathing hard with excitement.

"Do you want more?" The redhead panted with anticipation, and with a quick nod she gave him a pitched needy moan.

"Gaara, please-!" The pinkette could hardly make time to speak in between mewls. Her body repetitively arched into his hands to increase the friction. She was falling apart sinfully at the seams, but she didn't care anymore. She suddenly found it sexy that he was watching her so intensely with that frightening gaze of his, she loved that he was invested in every single movement and sound that she made.

It felt too good, and she wanted him to feel like this too.

While Gaara kept a steady pace, her hand ran up his thigh to feel over his groin. There was an impossible hardness there that would need to be tended to. His breath hitched at the contact, and she knew if she had a hand over his heart it would certainly be racing. She palmed at his length, getting a truly quaking breath out of him.

For some reason her hand over his erection had him moving his fingers desperately in reaction, and the intensity of it had her gripping at the outline of his shaft while she threw back her head to cry out. He thumbed over a nipple adding more electricity to the fire, making it hot and tingly from head to toe. Her hand gave a firm pump as she cried out ecstatically, and in return she got the sweetest whimper out of him.

The redhead was blushing hard, grinding his hips against her hand while she massaged firmly on the outside of his pants. He picked up his pace once more, and she started to ride against his talented fingers. The pressure became more intense, and she felt the edge of orgasm approach her. He leaned down to her ear before moaning wantonly for her, and it was enough to push her over the cliff a thousand times.

Sakura's hips lifted, her breath heaved, and she cried out lustfully as she came. His pressure remained firm on her heat, allowing her to ride out her orgasm for longer than what was normal.

She felt kisses along her jaw, a wet tongue lapping at the sweat dripping from her temples, and as she whined out a few vulgar phrases she felt his panting breath flay shakily against her cheek. The white hot pleasure had her voice going raw, and her heart pounding wildly.

His hips were still grinding against her now stilled hand, but as she came down from her high she went right back into stroking him gently.

Gaara's hands finally abandoned her in favor of going to his belt. Even in a glow she could see that he was more than ready to be handled by her. There was a sheen to his skin that wasn't there before, as well as a natural flush to his porcelain cheeks.

Even when desperate he was stunning. He was so far gone, and while that would have bothered her with any other man for some reason she found it beautiful in him. His eagerness to be touched in such a way was actually cute.

However, she wasn't going to allow him to get there until she got a show too. She got to her knees, one by one she quickly unfastened the buttons down his maroon shirt revealing the usual netted one underneath. His pale chest was expanding and deflating beautifully with each bated breath. When he finally got his pants undone he quickly pushed her hand back down to grasp at his exposed length.

At first she paused, then slowly ran her thumb over the flushed tip of him. She smoothed the precum around slowly, studying the sizeable erection he was sporting. He had gotten so big it was intimidating, and he felt so impossibly firm while she pumped slowly along his shaft.

"Please, Sakura-" The redhead panted hard with anticipation, licking his lips as if he were starving. "Please... I'm at your mercy..."

Sakura never imagined Gaara humbling himself in such a way. Begging for her to be kind, and merciful. It was so different, but it warmed her all over.

"You asked so nicely, I like that." Her hand pumped hard, every so often swirling her thumb around the tip. He became breathless, groaning in approval over the greatly needed attention. She pointed his length upwards, and pressed her naked chest against his netted one, gaining a sharp inhale for her effort. "Do you like it?"

"Yes-" Gaara started to purr, but broke out into a pitched moan that sounded very youthful. It was so cute that she couldn't help but giggle at it. When his eyes narrowed dangerously she picked up her pace, sending a harsh shockwave that made him look enraptured instead.

One of his hands grabbed at her backside while the other pulled her in tightly by the waist. His hips rolled desperately against her palm, causing him to whimper with each stroke.

"Please... please, Sakura..." He moaned out his words, his body trying hard to get him to climax.

"You want it?" The pinkette teased, and he nearly yelped.

"Yes... I'm so... close..." The redhead was beginning to tremble, and instead of answering him back with words she merely added in more speed and pressure to her work.

Gaara cried out loudly, and with the moans that followed he rapidly came into her pumping hand. His head sunk into the crook of her neck, whimpering against her skin while he gushed his essence in strong pulses. It covered her palm, and it covered her hip as well as her thigh.

She didn't realize there was going to be so much of it, but then again he only just figured out what an orgasm was a few days ago.

With a soft curse he kissed gently at the skin on her neck. His movements were lazy, like he was ready to fall into a coma. She could feel him breathe deeply, both from the exhales on her throat to the pressure of his lean chest on her own as it expanded. She breathed with him, almost matching him in every relaxed intake of oxygen. He finally sighed, a smile sounding in his voice.

"It's so different... having you do it..." The redhead huffed exhaustedly, but still with content before pulling away to view her face. His expression was curious as he focused his eyes on her. "You're so... perfect..."

Gaara sounded like he was drunk, and to her surprise he gave her a rather goofy grin that she had never witnessed on him before. She let him have his glowing moment, and she let him kiss her as slow and gentle as he wanted. Just as she felt like melting he pulled away, that genuine smile still etched on his face.

"You should get me a towel." Sakura whispered, adjusting him modestly back into his pants with her clean hand. He nodded dumbly at first before it actually sunk in.

"Towel... a towel. Right." Suddenly in action, the redhead nearly rolled off the bed to run over to the bathtub. He wet down a towel with warm water, then returned to start wiping away his mess. She hadn't expected him to actually do it, she was fine doing it herself, but it was a sweet gesture. "I hope that didn't... bother you."

He was nervous.

"No, you're fine. This is nice actually..." Right as she said it he went in with a clean part of the towel to pat gingerly at her folds. It startled her for a moment, but then she realized that he seemed to enjoy grooming her, as if it were his way of showing affection.

'Touching is certainly one of his love languages... I bet the other is quality time.' She giggled mostly at her own thoughts, but the sound had him halting his actions awkwardly.

"Is this... okay?" Gaara tried to hide his anxious expression, looking off to the side to avoid any scrutiny. He was certainly trying hard to be social with her, and she had to give him quite a bit of credit for even making it this far.

"Yes, I was just thinking how you enjoy grooming me. It's sweet." The pinkette smiled genuinely from the heart, and the most precious of blushes graced his porcelain cheeks. He pulled the towel away, and padded back over to the bathtub to throw the soiled fabric into the stone basin.

Now there was just one problem... what was she going to wear now?

While he was busy she made her way to the closet, finding it filled with revealing outfits and scandalous pajamas. She could only find one red nightgown that covered her decently, but the back was cut low, and the skirt was short with decent sized slits halfway up her hips.

It was a nightmare finding something that wouldn't arouse him further, but it seemed that she was stuck in her predicament. Luckily it came with a matching robe, but that too was low cut and barely reached past her bottom.

Sakura was done with the ponytail, finding bitterness towards the hairstyle now. She shook out her layered pink locks, they framed her face before laying just slightly above her mid back. With an exasperated sigh she walked back out of the closet finding him to be sitting on the bed looking all sorts of nervous.

Alright, so she wasn't alone in feeling a bit awkward. Thank god for that.

"Okay, you've had your fun. Now can you please escort me back to your room?" The pinkette placed her hands on her hips impatiently, tensing when she found his eyes sizing her up. "This was the least revealing thing in there! So don't think that I'm trying to get your attention-"

"You'd have my attention even if you wore a potato sack." The redhead replied quickly but then blinked at himself, he had probably meant to keep that one in his head.

Why was she finding his little fumbles cute? This wasn't supposed to happen, in the beginning she was only going to use him to get out of there, as horrible as that sounds. Now she was growing attached to him, and it was frustrating.

Yet, she couldn't deny the fact that it was happening. She liked him… a lot.

"Let's go, potato boy. I'm tired." Sakura made her way to the door, and he hopped up quickly to reach it before her.

For the first time, like a complete gentleman, he held the door open for her. Her eyes balked at his behavior before turning her gaze to him in question.

"What?" Gaara asked suspiciously, still holding the door open.

"We fool around once, and suddenly you're treating me like a noble lady. That's what." The pinkette crossed her arms over her chest, watching him awkwardly look off to the side. "Do you think this will make me desire you more?"

When he looked down, she was certain that she had 'caught him with his pants down', but he quickly shook his head.

"I like seeing you smile, so I thought I could do what all those other men do for their female partners... I just thought it would make you feel good." His voice sounded disheartened, and her heartstrings were instantly yanked.

'Oh my god! He's so pure!' She was crying on the inside, finding him to be far too sweet to comprehend fully. However, she loved every second of the hopeless romantic peeking out of him.

"I'm sorry for accusing you... I'm used to men being nothing but perverts, forgive me." She leaned forward to give him a sweet peck on the lips. He tensed once more out of habit, but then slowly pursed his lips in return. It was lasting longer than what was necessary... yet she felt she couldn't exactly pull away.

What was happening?! This was all wrong! She wasn't supposed to fall in love with him-

'Love? No. No no no. It's not love. I just like him, that's all. It's not that extreme. It won't get that far.' Sakura convinced herself, and finally pulled away from him with a small smile. His eyes looked glossy, like he was watching some sort of dream. It was a rather cute expression.

"C'mon, don't fall asleep on me." The pinkette tugged at his hand, holding it sweetly in her own. Like a curious little boy he followed her with lit up eyes, like holding her hand was one of the best things in the world.

She wished he could always be like this. Then again, it was better off if he didn't. That way she wouldn't accidentally fall in love with him.

\- ….. - ….

Gaara had expected everything to come to a grinding halt once they returned to his living quarters, but he was pleasantly surprised.

The redhead had crawled into bed with her, as was the usual, expecting to pet her as she fell asleep. However, her body had turned towards him with a shyness he wasn't expecting. Soon he felt her hands traveling up his chest to tangle in his hair before pulling him in for a heated kiss.

Sakura had claimed that she was tired before, that she had no plans of going any further that night, yet here she was slipping her eager tongue past his lips. Humming as his arms wrapped possessively around her frame.

He could have done that for the whole duration of the night, he was satisfied in only kissing her, but she desired more from him. Their legs had tangled, and her body moved against him sinfully in able to get some sort of purchase from it.

Gaara didn't ask any questions, he simply went with the flow. When she would arch into him he would return the favor, and both of them would moan at the pleasurable pressure it gave.

The pinkette bit down on his lip, tugging here and there as she panted against his mouth. He wondered if he had awakened something in her after the acts they had performed in the other room, as he was shocked to find her so interested in him.

However, he wasn't going to argue, it felt too good to even fathom stopping wherever this was heading. If she asked him to he would gladly give her every single piece of him.

Sakura broke their kiss first, and while it had him concerned for a moment he was quickly reassured when she pressed him down by the shoulders. Her hungered gaze was trained on him as she swung her leg over to straddle his clothed lap. With bated breaths he waited patiently as she wielded her confidence by grinding her hips against his own.

"Sakura..." The redhead bucked and groaned ecstatically, only to be answered with a nipping at his neck. His hips jolted again, arching against her while she whined against his throat.

"I'm sorry-" The pinkette whimpered, but was quickly cut off as his hands gripped hard at her backside before pressing up against her heat. Her voice cracked as another mewl escaped her, leaving his length pulsing with fresh desire after every sweet sound she made.

"Don't be... please..." Gaara panted eagerly as he trailed one hand around her waist to pull himself up. Even though she had apologized to him her hips refused to stop their movements.

"Okay... I'm not sorry." Sakura grinned in the dark, leaning in to kiss him passionately once more. It had taken his breath away regardless of the fact that he was moaning behind their kisses.

They moved like this for a long time, building each other up over what seemed like at the very least a whole hour. A sheen of sweat had formed on both of them, and a infectious trembling had begun as they both came close to finishing.

It was rather incredible that they were able to get there at the same time. However, since he was invested in her pleasure every step of the way the second her walls began to break he found himself unable to keep himself under control any longer. He cried out, rolling his hips as his essence flooded out, but his eyes were focused on her enough to watch as she got there too. Her small shrieks of pleasure filled his ears wonderfully with every last pulse, her brows stitching together as she wore a face of pained ecstasy while she came hard on top of him.

If there was a heaven he was certain he was in it, and she had to be the most stunning of all angels too.

Lost in each others glow, they both began to laugh breathlessly before sharing one last kiss. Disappointment only snuck in when she finally broke their contact, and maneuvered carefully off of him. She laid on her back with a goofy grin, and while he could have basked in it all day he decided that 'freshening up' would be the better option. Being a male came with it's own consequences.

It was when he had finally cleaned up, dressed himself in fresh clothes did the most peculiar thing happen.

' _You know, she probably would have let you fuck her. You missed out on a great chance_.'

The grating voice echoed in his head, startling the redhead enough to make him jump.

'Shukaku...' Gaara frowned at his reflection in the mirror, and was shocked when the frown turned into a wicked grin. 'Leave me alone-'

' _Love to, babe. Just let me have my fun. I can make her a proper mate tonight_ -' His reflection spoke to him, and it was so unsettling to watch as Shukaku's voice came out of his own mouth

'Not a chance.' The redhead was suddenly on the defense. He knew that Shukaku could do all sorts of things to his mind if left unchecked, and it seemed that he had almost forgotten that the bijuu existed within him after all of the newfound excitement.

' _You look tired, Gaara. I bet you are dying to get some real rest..._ ' As the beast pointed it out he felt the full effects of fatigue set in, as if Shukaku had been taking the edge off for him all these years and had decided to finally let it all sink in.

Gaara's vision swirled, his peripheral started to warp dangerously while his head pulsed in agony.

"Stop..." The redhead whispered aloud in prayer while his reflection laughed at him.

' _Let me take over, and you can get that full night's rest that you have begged me for._ ' The beast purred in the mirror, the once aquatic eyes now turned black and gold. ' _Just think... you could finally relax after all this time. You could finally feel like you're not permanently ill._ '

The words were having an effect on him, his eyelids started to grow heavy while everything became pleasantly numb.

' _Let me take over, let me have my fun with your new toy, and you can finally sleep_ -'

"No!" Gaara snapped out of it, and without thinking he punched the mirror in front of him shattering his reflection.

The fatigue subsided, his vision cleared, and he felt like he had shoved the beast back into the far recesses of his mind.

There was no way he would let Shukaku have her, not ever. Not for anything in the world.

"Gaara?!" Sakura called frantically from the door, not bothering to wait as she opened it with a start. Her eyes searched him, and in his spaciness he couldn't understand the fright that crossed her features. "Oh my god, you're bleeding!"

That's when he heard drops of liquid on the floor, and as he looked down he found his hand to be littered with sharp glass shards. His sand was there, moving about the wound in a frantic way.

Gaara knew that he had trained his body to be faster than his ultimate defense, but it had just became clear to him that he now had the ability to injure himself if he was quick enough.

He looked at the wound in wonder, savoring the pulsing pain. The crimson that poured from it felt hot as it rolled down his forearm-

"Gaara, for heavens sake!" The pinkette was suddenly grabbing his injured arm, and held it high above his head. He didn't enjoy how it started to go numb from the height. "Keep it above your head! I'm going to find some bandages!"

The redhead nodded dumbly, and didn't even register that she had left him there. All he could focus on was the pain, the burning and pulsing pain.

It made him want to grab a shard, and stab another part of himself...

"Okay, I found some. Can you get your sand to remove the remaining shards-?" As she looked up she noticed that his ultimate defense had already been working on the issue, and the last piece of glass was currently being removed. "Never mind, just bring it down now so I can clean it."

Sakura went to work, she sat him down on the toilet before wiping him down with a cold wet cloth. Judging by the burning he felt he realized the dampness was from alcohol. She was very quick though.

"Okay, hold it out a bit more." She ordered, and he obeyed silently. He watched curiously as she placed gauze on the wounds, and wrapped the bandages tight. They weren't tight enough to completely cut off circulation, but it was enough to truly compress the wounds. "Why did you do that?"

Gaara looked up to find her glaring at the bandages as she wrapped his hand. He wanted to tell her the truth, but knew that it would only make matters worse.

"I didn't like my reflection-" He began, but her scoff broke his train of thought.

"Sometimes I don't like how I look, but you don't see me smashing mirrors. Next time seek a second opinion before you give yourself seven years of bad luck." The pinkette huffed as she finished her work. Her eyes found his in an instant, making him wonder what she was truly thinking.

"What is your opinion, then?" The redhead asked gently, and it seemed to calm her down slightly.

"Of your appearance? You should already know the answer to that-"

"No, just... what do you think of me?" The second it left his mouth he felt himself become self conscious. Perhaps he didn't actually want to know that answer.

Jade eyes darted to the floor for a moment, avoiding him at all costs before color raced to her cheeks.

"I used to think you were so scary, but then I realized that you were just acting that way to defend yourself." Sakura murmured, shyly meeting his gaze every once in a while before staring back at the floor. "I was worried that you might find an interest in me, and when it became inevitable I knew it was only a matter of time before I caved..."

She paused, gathering her thoughts carefully before continuing.

"Little things, 'screw ups' on your part I would say. You'd do or say these sweet things, and I could see the real you hiding under a frightening mask. They had me thinking fondly of you, and now it's to the point that I really enjoy being around you... I like you a lot." The pinkette stopped then, and in her bashfulness she attempted to flee the scene, but he reached out just as fast to catch her. "Hey, I told you the truth okay? This is embarrassing-"

"I like you too. I want to be around you all the time." Gaara forced her to face him, and although she did it willingly her expression remained withered. He ran his uninjured hand through her pink locks, fascinated by their silkiness. "Thank you... for being here with me."

Sakura's eyes widened, and he couldn't stop himself from leaning in to kiss her gently. Her lips were soft, and warm as they always were, only this time they trembled. Lithe arms wrapped up and around his neck while she pressed her chest against his own. He could feel her heart beating wildly beneath her sternum, reminding him that she was a living and breathing person.

The redhead had found his peace again.

\- ... - ...

The council and their lackeys were troublesome. Every day when Gaara would leave, someone would come to retrieve Sakura, and take her to 'her room'. The last two times he simply expected it, and went to find her there instead of going back to his own living quarters.

They would encourage her to dress provocatively, and while he appreciated how she looked the mood was killed by her shame. She hated what they wanted her to be, so he no longer found the outfits desirable.

The redhead knew today was going to be the same, and he groaned at the thought of her possibly crying again-

"Hey!" Kankuro was suddenly by his side as he walked down the long halls of the Kage building. The younger brother had no desire to socialize today, but he would make an exception for his brother. They seemed to be getting close lately, and he strangely didn't mind it. "Ready for the banquet tonight?"

"That's tonight?" Gaara blinked in surprise, feeling a bit embarrassed over his poor memory of late. However, he truly didn't mind the distractions that Sakura brought with her.

"Yeah! Gonna get cleaned up, and polished! Sadly I gotta ditch my face paint, but hey, at least dad left me some decent genes-!"

"You look a lot like him." The redhead murmured as unpleasant memories resurfaced.

He hated Rasa, but apparently their father did a descent job of running their village. He felt a bit disturbed that he could never get closure with the man, something inside him surmised that Rasa wouldn't approve of the events that occurred after his untimely death.

"You look more like dad than I do. You both have the same angry face, and you both cross your arms when you plan on fucking someone up." The puppet master chuckled before continuing. "You guys are natural broods, I'm just the cool one-"

"Cool, right." Gaara smirked at that, and it felt good when his older brother found humor in it.

"Listen, smartass-!" Kankuro stopped in his tracks with a grin.

"Smartass? I dare you to spell that backwards, idiot." The redhead pushed, and the puppeteer let his mouth hang open in shock over his younger brother's sass.

"T-a-h-t. There, I spelled 'that' backwards." The puppetmaster grinned ear to ear leaving the younger bewildered for a moment.

Suddenly a sound escaped, and it felt rather pleasant coming from his chest. A full bodied, genuine laugh. It had been so long...

Years. It had been at least ten years since Gaara had a good healthy laugh, maybe even longer. It seemed to take over his entire person, and he found himself unable to stop.

"Woah, it wasn't that funny! I have real jokes that'll make you piss your pants! What do you call a three humped camel?" Kankuro waited anxiously for a response, but his brother merely giggled while shaking his head. "Pregnant!"

Another fit of laughter erupted, causing the redhead to have to grab the wall for balance. However, the puppeteer was not finished with his tall stack of jokes.

"What do you call two lesbians in a closet?" Kankuro began to snicker, and while the redhead was still recovering from the last dumb joke he honestly wanted to hear the punchline of this one.

"No clue." Gaara chuckled.

"A 'liquor cabinet'." The puppet master beamed, but the end of the joke had the redhead completely lost. "A 'lick-her' cabinet! C'mon! That's pure gold-!"

"I don't get it." Gaara shook his head leaving his older brother gaping at him.

Kankuro put his hand over his own eyes, and gave an exasperated groan. When he finally collected himself he motioned for the redhead to follow him. Gaara's curiosity was always piqued whenever his brother had something he wanted to show him, and sadly it always had to do with something perverted that the redhead didn't know about or understand.

He assumed another lesson was about to be taught.

\- ... - ... -

"Do you get it now-?"

"Yes, I get the joke now. Thanks."

Gaara was actually the one to grab the remote first to click off the television. He crossed his arms in deep thought as he slumped further into one of Kankuro's comfortable chairs.

"What's up?" The puppeteer leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, concern washing over his features as he studied his little brother. The redhead couldn't stand the scrutiny, and turned his eyes to the side.

"It doesn't seem sanitary." Gaara murmured, getting a snort from his older brother.

"It's fine, you won't get sick, unless the chick doesn't clean down there-"

"Sakura is thorough about hygiene." The redhead hissed defensively. His eyes had come back to see Kankuro staring at him intently. It was almost invasive.

"Don't expect her to do it if you won't return the favor. That's rude." The puppet master scolded.

Gaara's eyes widened at that thought. He hadn't thought about the other way around, let alone anyone putting their mouth on him in such a way. However, that day when he had finally gotten somewhere with her, the redhead had noticed something peculiar about the way Sakura had wrapped her pouting lips around his thumb.

She didn't bite or use her teeth, there was nothing but soft flesh beyond those lips. Hot, wet, and with a pressure that made him wonder...

He had subconsciously thought about it. For a split second he entertained the idea of those same lips wrapped around his length, but he had instantly shoved the thought away finding it to be far too crude.

Now, however, there was an actual term for it. People practiced such things without feeling disgusted; it was mildly acceptable.

"Yo, we gotta go! Temari has probably already picked up Sakura, and we got shit to do!" Kankuro's panic awoke Gaara from his heated daydream.

With a curt nod the redhead went into action, and said nothing as he walked past the puppet master.

"Hey, I mean it though. Don't ask her to do anything unless you're willing to do the same-"

"I got it! Stop bringing it up!" Gaara snapped, not bothering to look at the man before slamming the door behind him as he left.

He stomped up the stairs to his own quarters, knowing full well what he had to do for this ridiculously pompous evening.

The redhead would have to wash, dress in uncomfortable dress clothes, avoid killing at all costs in able to keep the garments clean... it was irritating.

Gaara entered his room, sad to see that the pink haired woman of his affections was missing. He assumed they'd be painting her up too, like all the strange women did for these events. There was always too much makeup, heavy perfumes that hurt his sensitive nose, and hair ratted up in ridiculous fashions to match their ridiculous dresses. It was not fun, it was disturbing.

The redhead huffed bitterly as he showered, while he put on the stupid white suit, and as he walked out the door to go find his brother once more. His lips formed a scowl as he grew more, and more irritated at the idea of going to this utterly pointless banquet.

Kankuro was not in his room, but Gaara entered the living space regardless. He spotted two floral pieces on the coffee table.

'What the hell are these called? Corsets? Corpses? Carriages-no... corsages?' The redhead floundered in his own thoughts before the name finally dawned on him. He picked up one that had a small arrangement of pink roses. "Corsage. Yes, that's the word."

While pleased that he finally got the word correct, he still groaned at the thought of her having the damn thing tied to her wrist.

Gaara loathed these events, and he knew the council would probably be watching him and Sakura like a hawk. It had him so pissed that he gritted his teeth the whole way back upstairs. He stormed down the hall once more, and was ready to swing the door open when he realized that it wasn't fully latched.

His eyes narrowed with suspicion, and like a true shinobi he entered the room with an expert silence. Little did he know that his silence was about to be swiftly broken.

The redhead watched carefully at first as Sakura walked out of the bathroom, but his heart pounded heavily in his chest at the sight of her.

The pinkette was so beautiful, he had never seen such immense beauty in his entire life. Her dress was like a second skin, completely seamless on her figure leaving the eyes to roam in an endless cycle of desire. Her skin glimmered, her hair shined while pinned up with a crystal hair piece, her neck sporting a glorious choker that had him hungering to kiss her throat...

Then she turned, and he truly believed an angel had graced his presence. Sultry lashes, bitten lips, flushed yet glowing cheeks... jade eyes that seemed a bit startled, but quickly warming while her pouting lips gave a smart smile.

'Marry me.' Gaara spacily said in his head, unable to move his mouth due to shock.

"Cat caught your tongue?" Sakura grinned, placing her delicate fingers on her delicious curves.

The redhead wanted to throw her down, lift that perfect form fitting dress to her hips, and thrust into her. There was a bed right behind her... it wouldn't take much effort-

'No! Don't do it until she's ready! Otherwise you will feel nothing but regret!'

Was that him, or was that Shukaku? He honestly couldn't tell, but it woke him up enough to see that he would not be able to leave this room a 'sane' man. No, every man who would look upon her would certainly feel as he did. There was no way he'd let them even imagine her in such ways...

On her knees, panting, crawling, begging, whining for more-

Gaara's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he practically slammed the door behind him making her jump.

He had made his decision.

They would not go to the banquet. 


	7. Chapter 7

The next few days were ridiculous.

Sakura would sleep in his room at night, and when Gaara would leave someone would fetch her to bring her back to that strange bedroom. She would be forced to change into some sort of ridiculous harem attire, and made to sit in one spot for him to return.

Now he was just beginning to expect it, and would immediately come up to 'her room' to bring her back down into his. It was exhausting, and she made sure to complain about it every single day.

Today seemed like she would be going into the same ridiculous routine, leaving her to groan as the door to his room opened.

"Oooh don't you people ever give up?! He doesn't want me staying up there!" Sakura turned away from the window to stare down whoever was taking her away today, but ended up blinking in surprise.

"Sakura Haruno, yes?" The blonde kunoichi waltzed in like she owned the place, well she technically did. "I require your company today."

Immediately the pinkette flushed, thinking that this beautiful woman, who also happened to be Gaara's sister, desired her for darker reasons.

"What for?" Sakura asked before wringing her hands.

"I'll be prepping you for tonight's festivities." Temari answered, beckoning her to follow as she exited the room. The pinkette rushed to follow after the blonde, wearing only her casual red dress with black shorts. Outside the room she hurriedly slipped on her shoes, and scurried to keep up.

Temari walked at a fast pace, that was for certain. Within a matter of minutes they were already walking down the city streets.  
They rounded a corner, surprising Sakura when they were at an entrance to a hidden spa.

"Alright, hurry in. We need you to look classy if you're going to be on Gaara's arm." The blonde pushed at her back, and almost immediately upon entry the women in the shop set to work.

The pinkette was tugged this way and that, her only moments of rest was a mud bath and a relaxing facial. Other than that they roughly exfoliated her skin, put weird things in her hair like mud and oils repeatedly washing and drying her. It was a strange phenomena that she never wished to experience again. They plucked her brows, exfoliated her lips, cleaned her nails, scrubbed her hands and feet with harsh pumice stones, applied paraffin waxes, oils, lotions, potions; you name it and it was done to her.

By the time they applied her small amount of makeup she was exhausted. Temari seemed to be going through similar treatments, but handled it with the grace of a pedigree cat. Sakura was amazed by this woman's resilience.

"So, my brother, what all have you two done together?" The blonde didn't even bother looking at her as she asked the shameless question. The pinkette stumbled for a moment, wincing as her hair was yanked back into an elegant twisted hairstyle.

"I don't kiss and tell-"

"Ah, so you have kissed him. I'm surprised he hasn't killed you yet." Temari was cruel, but Sakura was certain it was merely a defensive act. Something told her that this woman was actually kind.

"He says he likes me enough that he'll protect me like he protects himself. I think that spells out how he feels." The pinkette could play this game, she grew up with Ino after all. It seemed to get the blonde's attention rather quickly.

"If you think you can tame him then think again. Gaara is ruthless-"

"You obviously don't know him well, because I have experienced a gentleness from him that no other man has ever shown me." Sakura knew that this woman would not hesitate to beat the crap out of her if she felt like it. However, she merely smirked at the pinkette's boldness.

"Sounds like you like him, that's surprising too. Most women are scared shitless of him." The blonde gave a small laugh, completely at peace with the woman behind her yanking her hair into a high spikey bun.

"I'm not most women. I don't fear pain, and I don't fear death. Only humiliation." Sakura brought her eyes forward, and her words seemed to silence the powerful kunoichi sitting next to her.

Once they were finished the were given robes to walk back in, what they were going to do with her clothes she didn't know, Suna was a strange place.

Temari walked side by side with her up the stairs, but when the pinkette went to keep going the blonde yanked her back.

"My room, I have some things for you." Without even the opportunity to argue Sakura was pulled by the wrist into the blonde's elegant bedroom. It was very classy, draped in many fine purple silks and decorated with fans that the pinkette knew had to double as weapons.

Temari disappeared into her closet then came back out with a box of powder, and a velvet box that Sakura could only assume was some sort of jewelry.

"Perfumed powder mixed with diamond dust, it's extremely expensive so don't spill it. Also, this is one of my best bracelets, I hope it will go with whatever the hell you're wearing tonight." The blonde tried to sound tough, but it was obvious that she seemed to be enjoying this a bit too much. The pinkette nodded in thanks while taking the trinkets. "Kankuro brought Gaara with him to pick out corsages, yes this is a very elegant engagement. The annual Suna banquet celebrates the history of our people, and schmoozing up political officials. Don't fuck this up, keep your mouth shut, and just look pretty. That shouldn't be hard for you."

The sneaky compliment Temari threw in did not go unnoticed, and earned a smirk from Sakura.

"I'm a smart girl, I can blend." The pinkette snickered, and surprisingly the blonde laughed a bit before shooing her out of the room.

Now it was time for Sakura to prepare herself for probably one of the strangest nights of her life.

The elegant black and nude dress was on, the black heels with ankle straps being slipped into. She had dusted her collarbone and shoulders with the perfumed sparkling dust, and it made her skin look shimmery, like she didn't belong on this plain. She reddened her lips a bit more, but just enough to look bitten. A wide crystal choker was placed high on her long neck, and the bracelet, which luckily was a diamond one, matched rather well with her choker.

Last but not least she placed a crystal pin in her hair in the shape of a cherry blossom. It went well with the elegant hairstyle. With her bangs brushed to the side she nodded at her appearance. This was probably the most beautiful she would ever look in her life.

She chose not to wear a bra underneath from how skin tight the dress was, and her underwear was the lacey kind that left no indentations. Her whole form looked sleek and fluid, elegant and sexy.

She wandered back out into Gaara's bedroom, not expecting him to be there. When she heard a light sound, like someone opening their mouth to speak she turned her head to see who it was. The redhead was wearing that nice cream suit she had seen in his closet the other day with a sharp red shirt underneath, and a white tie. He seemed completely dumbstruck.

"Cat caught your tongue?" Sakura straightened before jutting out her hip seductively.

Gaara was dumbfounded for a moment, but then quickly shook himself out of his daze. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and he practically slammed the door behind him making her jump.

"Woah, I was just teasing-"

"We're not going." He huffed as he tried to roughly take off his tie, blinking in confusion she closed the distance between them.

"Why? Is something wrong?" The pinkette tried peering into his eyes, but he refused to look at her.

'That's strange...' She studied him, but couldn't find an answer to his strange behavior. Finally he gave an exasperated sigh.

"I don't want anyone seeing you like this-"

"-Oh for heavens sake, Gaara! If you hated the dress why did you agree to buy it?!" When he wouldn't answer she grew frustrated, ripping the tie out of his hands to synch it back up to his neck, then she pulled him by said tie to lean forward. "We are going."

"No, we are not! I can't have every man lusting over you! I'll end up killing everyone in the fucking room!" The redhead sounded legitimately stressed about it, as if what he was saying was the truth. "Those men imagining you in disgusting ways... I can't-!"

"Let them imagine it then, I'm not going home with any of them." Sakura tried not to snicker about it, but her smile still peaked through. She undid his tie finding it had gotten too messed up, and began remaking it.

"Sure, walk around like that. Let every man eye-fuck you while I watch!" Gaara hissed, and as his voice started to rise she hushed him gently back into a calm state.

"Yes, but I'll be on your arm. You'll have the prettiest girl while they have the mediocre ones." She wasn't trying to flatter herself, rather she was trying to make a point that he could show her off, and revel in their jealousy. "Even if I'm wearing rags there will still be men who will desire me just because I'm female. There is no getting around that-"

"If anyone looks at you wrong I will kill them." The redhead huffed stubbornly making her smack at his chest.

"You will not! What is it going to take for you to be okay with this? Do I have to get on my knees, and beg you or something?" The pinkette gave an exasperated sigh before tightening up his tie. She glanced up to see him looking off to the side, trying avidly to avoid her gaze. "Well?!"

"Or something... could you elaborate?" Gaara murmured softly, awkwardly clearing his throat before staring off in a different direction. She blinked at him in disbelief.

Was he trying to get something perverted out of this?! Was she going to have to bargain with him?! She almost couldn't believe it.

 _Almost_ being the key word here. She knew that he had that side in him, he just hadn't utilized it until she had came into his life.

'Fine.' She mused to herself before letting out a sigh of resignation.

"Well, it could be one something... or a few different somethings. Maybe I could let you choose one 'something' you'd like, but you have to show me that you can be a gentleman tonight." She smirked, knowing full well that his mind would probably be racing with possibilities. He licked his lips for a moment before looking down.

"I get to choose?" The redhead spoke shyly above a whisper, it was adorable.

"As long as it's not full penetration, then sure. Whatever you want." His eyes widened at that, and she moved in to swiftly kiss him on the cheek. She teasingly slipped past him, not failing to notice how quickly he turned to follow her as she made her way to the exit.

In a split second he was there, opening the door with the fiercest blush she had ever seen on him. Before she could step through it, however, he shoved something towards her.

It was a corsage of pink roses that matched the color of her hair. She outstretched her one bare wrist, and he tied it down with a stern expression. Once again, he was acting too innocent for his own good.

"It's beautiful, thank you." She admired the flowers attached to her wrist with a smile. He nodded quickly before gently ushering her out of the room.

\- ... - ...

"I hate these things." Gaara huffed bitterly, walking steadily with her arm linked in his. She gave a small giggle at his expense.

"Don't forget about what we talked about. I want you on your best behavior if you want to get that 'something' tonight." Sakura smirked as she felt him tense under his jacket. They just rounded the corner when they came face to face with the legendary puppet master.

"Oh ho! Did my ears really just hear that-?"

"Shut up, Kankuro." The redhead narrowed his eyes threateningly, forcing the puppet master's smile to disappear.

"Gaara, knock it off." The pinkette warned before turning to Kankuro. "You look nice this evening."

"Heh, in comparison to you I look like road kill-"

Gaara started to growl, receiving a smack to the chest once more from his date.

"Do that again and you get nothing." Sakura glared at him, and while he tried glaring back at her his anger eventually waned.

"Two 'somethings', or no deal." The redhead put it out there so blatantly that it was obvious what he was bargaining for. At first she gaped at him in disbelief, but then finally narrowed her eyes.

"I get to pick the second 'something'-"

"No, I get to choose both-"

"Quit being greedy, you get what you get or you can have nothing. We can turn around right now, and I'll sleep upstairs. Alone." The pinkette was a ruthless haggler, and his eyes blinked in shock over how she was willing not only to deny him 'something' but also take even more away. She was certain that he hadn't taken that into consideration.

"Wow, Gaara, you should take the deal." Kankuro looked between them with interest while the redhead continued to glare daggers at her.

"Three 'somethings', and you can choose two." A small smirk started to form on his mouth, and finally she began to feel relief over the fact that he was becoming playful.

"Deal. Be sure to grab a drink while we're there cause it's going to be a rough night for you." Sakura gave him a teasing smile that had him looking off to the side.

"Likewise." Gaara grinned then, and that's when she was pretty sure she had just sold her soul to the devil.

"So, Sakura... do you have a sister-?"

"The closest thing I have to a sister is already a part of your harem. Try bantering with Ino, she's just as bad if not worse-"

"Really, billboard brow?!" Speak of the devil and she shall appear, Ino walked up with Temari before slipping her arm through Kankuro's. She wore a rather scandalous purple dress that was quite strappy all over. 

Sakura couldn't believe it, she never thought that she would see her best friend again, let alone tonight of all nights. The smile that stretched across her face made her cheeks hurt pleasantly.

"Ino-pig!" The pinkette detached herself from the redhead to throw herself at her best friend. They hugged it out so tightly that the rest of the group didn't know how to feel about it. "I missed you so much!"

"You too! Are you okay?! I thought they were going to kill you!" The blonde ran her fingers down her best friend's cheek, checking her over for any marks. Sakura felt a tidal wave of emotion begin to rush through her, but pushed it down in the sake of professionalism.

"I'm fine. They threw me in with this broody fellow over here, and he's actually a huge sweetheart don't let his glare fool you-"

"Sakura." Gaara warned, and it made her giggle for some reason.

"Ooo, yeah you can have the violent ones. I got the goofball-"

"H-hey!" Kankuro huffed at the girls as they erupted into a fanfare of giggles. Suddenly the two best friends linked arms to continue down that hallway, Temari seemed to say nothing about what was happening, but her smirk let on that she was amused.

Gaara growled for a bit as he followed behind them, but Sakura decided to not pay much attention to it. Instead the two girls clucked away over what they had been doing over the past few weeks. When it came to something nitty gritty they would begin whispering to each other, looking back at their dates, then break out into giggles.

The redhead growled a bit louder-

"Hey man, I get that its irritating, but look at it this way. They are two very beautiful girls practically smooshed together, it just takes a little bit of imagination and then-"

"Are you kidding me?!" Ino whipped around to poke Kankuro in the chest. "We don't do that perverted stuff, get your head out of the gutter!"

The redhead blinked owlishly, before noticing that Sakura was slipping her arm back into his. She knew Kankuro originally wanted her to be a part of her harem, now she wondered just what he would have done with her had she actually went along with the other girls.

"Well, now I know what your brother is into." The pinkette gave a scoff before urging the redhead to go forward down the hall. She could hear Ino chewing Kankuro out even as they turned another corner to go down a flight of stairs. It seemed she didn't have to worry about Ino at all, she obviously had the man wrapped around her finger.

'She seems happy too, I'm glad.'

"What is my brother into, exactly-?"

"I really shouldn't have to spell it out, but I can be nice just this once. Lesbians." She tried to remain serious, but as his face distorted at the thought she nearly snorted with laughter.

"I don't understand. If women only have love for each other, and none for a man, then why would that be attractive? It makes no sense, the man would get nothing out of it." Gaara's naked brows furrowed in confusion as he tried thinking it over.

"I don't know, what would you do if I decided to just go over there and make out with Ino-?"

"I would kill her." His tone was practically murderous, and yet she had to stifle a laugh.

"What if I asked you to join?" Sakura smirked when he went completely silent. His lips formed a thin line while his brow continued to furrow. "Does it make sense now?"

"...I'm not really sure." The redhead tried to focus on something, his knuckle coming up to his mouth to bite at it in deep concentration. He was always so cute when he couldn't quite understand something.

"Have Kankuro explain it then-"

"Explain what now?" The puppet master had jogged to catch back up to them, leaving his enraged date in the dust.

"Gaara needs a crash course on the birds and the bees, especially between women-"

"I do not! I understand it well enough! I just don't care!" Gaara hissed at the both of them, where Kankuro grew a bit nervous the pinkette busted out into laughter.

"Oh whatever! You're such a liar!" She snickered under her hand, watching him just about boil over.

"Does it work both ways?!" The redhead fumed while stopping dead in his tracks. She blinked at him for a moment as it caught her off guard.

"I'm not following-"

"Do women enjoy seeing two men together?! It's not that hard to understand-!"

"Um... I can't really say for myself but some women like it." Sakura bristled when he stepped closer. His haunting eyes had her mind stolen, hypnotized by the darkness that surrounded the ghostly opaque color.

"I want to know what you think about it." Gaara spoke in a low tone, making her hairs stand on edge. Why was he suddenly so interested in this topic?

"I've never seen anything like that, how should I know?!" The pinkette snapped, and surprisingly he straightened with a calm expression setting her at ease.

"Let's find out." The redhead said matter-o-factly. She stared at him incredulously, wondering just what the hell he was talking about-

Then he did the most strangest thing. He leaned over, and kissed his own brother on the mouth. It wasn't a truly intimate kiss, but it was longer than a peck and it was enough to make her shriek.

"GAARA! What the hell are you doing!?" Sakura quickly yanked him back towards her, forcing him to break contact with his utterly stunned brother.

"Well? Did it do anything-?"

"Did it do anything?! YOU JUST KISSED YOUR BROTHER!" The pinkette screamed at him, and Kankuro immediately stepped in to try and save the day.

"Hey now! It's okay! No harm done! It's not like we're jacking each other off-"

"Oh my god NO!" Sakura slammed her hands over her ears before storming away from the two. She chanted gibberish to herself to try and get the image out of her mind.

It took a few minutes to get her head back in the game after that fiasco.

\- ... - ... -

"I said I was sorry." Gaara murmured softly to her as they waited to be announced. Apparently everyone needed to be announced before entering the banquet, and she was already on edge from his shenanigans earlier. "I don't see what the issue is, though. It's not like he's female-"

"It's still incest, Gaara. Please don't defend things like that." Sakura groaned, but then stiffened when she heard him chuckle.

"Your face was priceless." The redhead broke out into a genuine grin, taking her breath away with how handsome he was when he smiled.

It was then that the doors opened, and whoever was paying attention on the other side got a good view of his wonderful smile before he quickly turned to stone. With a hardened expression he walked forward, a crowd of well dressed people started clapping from the get go, but then it quickly died down into a strange wave of whispering. He rose a hairless brow at the odd situation.

"That's the first time that's happened." Gaara murmured while he looked around himself curiously, then walked her towards a large table meant for the guests of honor.

"Why are they doing that?" The pinkette looked around too, noticing many eyes were staring at them.

"I've never brought a date to any function. I assume they think I must have snapped or something-"

"Or 'something' indeed." Sakura teased, and got a suggestive glance for her effort.

"Don't tempt me, I will make a scene." His eyes shamelessly sized her up before pulling out her chair. Even though he was teasing her back, the redhead still managed to play a gentlemanly card.

"That sounds like fun, let's get kicked out for fooling around on the buffet table." The pinkette laughed before sitting in her spot. He took a seat next to her, and funnily enough Kankuro was sitting on his other side. They were the last to be announced, thus the last to take their seats.

"Or we could give them all a real heart attack, right now." He gave her a devilish grin that made her wither.

"Please don't kiss your brother again, I swear to god-"

Gaara leaned in quickly, capturing her jawline in his hands before placing a soft kiss on her lips. Before she could say anything a hushed silence fell on the crowd of people in the room, and someone somewhere dropped a glass that happened to shatter loudly.

Kankuro snickered behind his hand, and it was irksome enough for Gaara to pull away to glare at him.

"Why are you laughing?" Even though the redhead was trying his best to be intimidating the puppet master couldn't contain his giggles.

"You didn't wipe your mouth first. She just got an indirect kiss from me- OW!" Kankuro winced as he recieved a hard punch to the shoulder. "Hey man, it was a joke!"

"Not a funny one, you should work on your punchlines." At first it sounded like a normal response, but when Sakura looked deeper into it she nearly squealed. The two boys looked at her suspiciously before she broke out into giggles.

"You made a pun! 'Punch' lines! Get it?" The pinkette clapped her hands giddily, enjoying the fact that sometimes the redhead could act like a normal person. It wasn't long before Kankuro started chuckling too, yet all they could get out of Gaara was a smirk.

The night started off strangely, what with everyone freaking out and staring at them, but then a few boring speeches were made. Certain council members gave these droll monologues that made not only her yawn, but Gaara too. She was beginning to understand why he hated these things.

Next there was dinner, and it was very delicious with several of Suna's signature dishes. Gaara got his own plate of what looked like a cooked tongue. She shivered at the thought, but he seemed to be excited about it. She happily had the chicken.

Desert was surprisingly cake with ice cream, and while she giggled at the thought of a children's birthday party the rest of the table raised their brows at her. Except Ino, she knew why it was funny.

All that was left was essentially drinking, and dancing. A few men had actually come up to ask her for a dance, but had left with their tails between their legs when Gaara would answer for her; in his most threatening tone possible.

They stood there, wine in hand, watching everyone else twirl on the floor. She sighed wishing she could do the same.

"What's wrong?" The redhead queried, leaning against the wall looking like a complete punk with a bad attitude.

"I want to dance." The pinkette huffed before giving him a pair of classic puppy eyes. His face actually started to look like his heart was breaking a little bit.

"I don't know how." He flushed lightly at his admission, and she gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I see..." Sakura stared back out at the crowd, watching them twirl to the beat of the music.

"Wait here." Gaara suddenly walked past her, leaving her alone on the wall. He left the room completely, which worried her a little bit.

"Well, I guess I'll just stand here-"

"I'm shocked that Lord Gaara has brought such a beautiful flower with him tonight, one that should be dancing rather than standing against the wall." One of the younger council members, still in his mid thirties however, approached her while holding out his hand to shake.

"Hojo, it's a pleasure, miss?" He waited for her to respond, and finally she kicked into gear.

"Sakura." The pinkette smiled handing him her hand, to which he surprisingly kissed the top rather than shaking it. It made her instantly nervous.

"Lord Gaara must be smitten with you-"

"Yes, he really is." Sakura decided to press that point, hoping that this man would back off. Yet his eyes drank in her appearance in a way that she would deem as inappropriate.

"You're not native, I see. It shows in your hair." Hojo grinned, his dark locks swaying into his eyes. Something about this man made her uneasy, and it wasn't just the perverted way he looked at her. She had met many perverts that she still felt comfortable around.

This man, Hojo, was clearly a cunning person who killed with slow acting poisons rather than with knives.

"I'm from Konoha." She finally answered truthfully, and got a strange expression in return.

"Oh, I see. That's why he likes you." The councilman's face cracked with a dark laugh making every hair raise on her body in alert. "Makes perfect sense why you were able to tame him-"

"Caring for one another does not make us a beast, and tamer. You would do well to watch what you say, and not just because I'm Gaara's date either." The pinkette threatened, letting him know that she could be just as dangerous as some of the other ninja here. However, she merely received another laugh discrediting her.

"Konoha women, so spirited. In more ways than one-" He went to stroke her hand, but was quickly intercepted by a very protective big brother.

'Oh thank god-'

"If you don't want to die tonight you'll back off, do you understand? Gaara will kill you if he sees you touching her." Kankuro grabbed Hojo's arm, and the man wiggled his fingers in surrender. Like this was just a game to him.

"I'm merely playing, I wouldn't dream of touching the jinchuriki's concubine- er sorry, forgive me, his 'mate'." The middle age man sized her up before turning away to talk to other guests. A few people were watching curiously, probably wondering what the hostility was about.

"Fucking bastard." Kankuro nearly spat, but Sakura shook her head.

"Don't tell Gaara about this, it will ruin his night." The pinkette looked back out onto the floor wondering where he had even gone off to. In a matter of seconds of him leaving she had become shark bait.

They were already trying to use her to get to Gaara, it disgusted her.

"It's no problem, I just know if Gaara starts a fight it'll be really bad. Not only for him, but for you as well. Sometimes he just rushes in just because he knows he can, and that he is strong enough to get away with murder... literally-" Kankuro looked pale at the thought, but she really couldn't blame him after having to deal with the redhead's odd behaviors. In the beginning he was a ranting lunatic, but he seemed to have mellowed out since she started giving him the attention he needed.

It made her smile, knowing that she could make a huge difference for someone.

"Back, let's go." Out of nowhere Gaara appeared, not stopping as he made a beeline for the dance floor snatching up her arm on the way there. She stumbled after him, trying to balance on her heels as he forced her to powerwalk.

"Gaara, where did you go?" Sakura asked, but was quickly distracted when they got to the dance floor. He turned abruptly attempting to put his hands on her, but instead furrowed his brow in thought. "Start with the waist, we can just sway if you want."

"Rrrright." The redhead's speech sounded off, something wasn't right here, but he managed to put his hands on her waist... then let them slip down to her hips. She gave an exasperated sigh, wrapping her arms around his neck.

That's when she smelled just a hint of alcohol-

"Oh no, you didn't do what I think you did, did you?" The pinkette suddenly felt extremely worried, she had no clue what kind of drunk he was, and now she was stuck in a very precarious situation.

"Ha! That's a weird sentence!" The redhead gave her a funny kind of smile, and her point was proven.

"Oh my god, oh no. Oh nooo-" Sakura started to panic.

"Whassup?" Gaara tried tilting his head to see her more clearly... even though they were literally inches away from each other.

"What kind of drunk are you? Happy? Sad? Murderous?" The pinkette bit her lip in concern, watching him tilt his head to the other side.

"I dunno... never drank like this soooo, guess we'll find out!" The redhead laughed genuinely, practically like a normal person. He seemed relaxed, casual, but still a bit drunk.

Okay, maybe this could turn out for the better. He could seem more sociable-

"Heeey... did I tell you that you're really gorgeous?" While Gaara had attempted a whisper it was still loud enough for a few couples to hear. Sakura almost grimaced, but stopped herself as she knew that he was honestly trying to compliment her. She forced a small laugh for his comfort.

"You're not so bad yourself. You clean up nice-"

"Woah now! I know you want my body, but we should take things slooow." The redhead snickered before growing a bit more ballsy, and started to nearly waltz. She kept up with him, but still kept her eyes sharp watching for sharks in the water.

"Yes, you know me so well." Sakura rolled her eyes, but still carried a smile for him. She was surprised at how well he could dance now.

"I do! I know you better than anybody-"

"Oh really?" She played into his game, getting the biggest grin she had ever seen on his face.

"Yup, I know what you look like naked-"

"SSH! Gaara!" Although she smacked his chest she couldn't help but snort at his comment. With a laugh he twirled her outward, then pulled her back into his embrace rather hypnotically. It made her dizzy for many reasons.

"Good thing we already did stuff cause you're in trouble, pretty lady." He was clearly teasing at first, but then his eyes truly focused on her. "You're in a lot of trouble... big trouble..."

"Are you playing the hero then? Am I the damsel in distress?" With another giggle the pinkette was spun outward, then with greater force pulled back in. His eye's were so focused on her own that it seemed like he was thinking they were alone in this room full of people.

"Not a hero... I want to be the villain." Gaara purred softly, and as she blinked owlishly at him he leaned in to whisper in her ear. "I'll tie you up... and make you scream for mercy..."

Her heart started pounding wildly, her cheeks inflamed at the thought.

Sakura thought of pushing away, thinking that perhaps someone might have heard him say that to her, but everyone just continued dancing like nothing happened.

"Eeeh... you're blushing. Hehe..." Gaara snickered, and for his boyish behavior she smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "I don't want that expression to go away."

"Since when did you become such a pervert-?"

"That day when we were running and you got attacked, I licked a cut on your leg... and you blushed just like this-" His hand came up to trace his thumb over her cheekbone, the action made her tremble. "-I want to do that tonight-"

"Gaara, stop saying things like that in public." She tried to warn him, but it only made him grin devilishly.

"Why? Afraid someone might hear me? Hear about how I'm going to strip you down later-?"

"Gaara!" Sakura hissed at him, and he raised a devious brow at her. He went to speak, but she immediately hushed him. "Say one more word about it, and I will start taking back the 'somethings'."

He blinked at that, and then surprisingly gave a bitter expression.

"Fine. Take them. I don't care-" The redhead huffed stubbornly, she almost couldn't believe the instant change.

"Really? You're going to throw a fit right here?" The pinkette groaned with frustration, and then pulled away from him.

"Hello, may I cut in?" A different council member approached them with enough balls to ask Sakura for a dance. While she was prepared for Gaara to tell the man 'no' he actually continued to glare at her.

"I don't care anymore. Dance with her, she enjoys being a people pleaser-"

"Gaara!" The pinkette blinked at him in disbelief, and he merely shrugged.

"I'll see you later, I'm going for a walk." The redhead turned his back on her quickly, and her stomach dropped. The older man grinned expectantly at her, holding his arms out for a dance. She turned to call out for Gaara but he was already gone in a cloud of sand.

She was alone... stuck with the wolves while she was nothing but a lamb to them.

Sakura moved in to dance, trying to play off confidence as this older man spun her around like a rag doll.

"Hojo told me good things about you, I just had to see for myself-"

"Did he now?" The pinkette went apathetic, acting as if that man didn't scare her.

"He did, you're an ex-leaf kunoichi aren't you? You certainly are high strung like one-" The older man was despicable straight out of the gate, and it took everything in her power not to stamp on his feet.

"I wouldn't say 'high strung', we just know our worth." Sakura hissed bitterly as she glared daggers at the man, his smile turned into a evil smirk.

"Yes. Now that's a look I wouldn't mind changing. When Gaara is finally through with your outrageous antics I'll have the guards send you my way. I know just what to do with that pouting mouth of yours, leaf slut." The councilman chuckled darkly, and she balked at his disgusting behavior. Not being able to stand it any longer she tried breaking free of his grasp, but he held on rather tightly. "Don't make a scene, my dear. It will reflect badly on your owner-"

"Get your fucking hands off of me!" The pinkette spat venomously at him, but it only made him laugh more.

She felt trapped in more ways then one. She needed to get away from these people. This was turning out to be a very frightening evening.

"You know what? I think a few of my colleagues would enjoy your company as well, you obviously must have some sort of 'charms' going for you, otherwise Lord Gaara would never keep one of your kind-"

"For the second time today I have to tell one of you assholes to get the hell away from Sakura." Kankuro appeared at her side, gripping at the councilman's shoulder with hands itching to kill. She had never felt so relieved in her life, in fact she instantaneously thanked him for it. The older man narrowed his eyes, clearly offended.

"I'm not done with her-"

"Not your choice, you gross old lech. I overheard what you fucking said. You're a nasty old pervert, and you should be ashamed of yourself." The puppet master gave the councilman a hard shove, getting complete disbelief out of the man.

"How dare you, Kankuro!? Dishonoring your village for some worthless leaf whore-!"

The crack that resounded around the room was loud, and sickly, but it made the pinkette so happy she could cry for joy. Kankuro hit the older man so hard that she was almost one hundred percent certain she heard his jaw break. The councilman dropped so fast that he looked like a sack of meat falling to the floor, and Kankuro was practically steaming he was so pissed.

Alright, the puppet master definitely deserved an award for best gentleman of the night.

"Kankuro!? What are you doing!?" Temari stormed over to her brother, and opened her mouth to scold him up and down. He stopped her before she could even start.

"I'm getting Sakura out of here, that's what I'm fucking doing. No wonder Gaara was pissy about being here tonight, even the council is filled with disgusting old fucks-!"

"Kankuro!" Temari warned, but he shook his head angrily.

"Nope. I'm done. I'm taking her to a safe place. Fuck'em." Kankuro snatched up the pinkette's arm, tugging her after him in a rough way. She stumbled a bit, but she knew he was just urgently wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"What about me?!" Ino shouted after him, and he groaned.

"Have Temari bring you back!" The puppet master shouted, and threw open the main doors to the ballroom dramatically as they made their exit.

Her heels were clicking against stone double time in comparison to his dress shoes, his gate was much longer as well so she had to nearly run to keep up.

The halls around the area doubled as walkways around the courtyards, the night air was dry and cool under a bright silver moon. Had she been with someone else, she would have found it romantic.

"Let's stop here for a minute." Kankuro guided her to a stone bench, and practically forced her to sit down. She followed his demands, and rested for the time being. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you-?"

"No! No... it was just unnerving is all. Embarrassing..." Sakura looked out into the night, she was beginning to feel shittier by the second. "I hate this place. No offense, but I hate your people too. They are savages."

Her words were cruel, but at this point she just didn't care anymore. She wished she could just leave.

"We're not all like that, but I can understand why you'd think it. Since we took over Konoha our people have grown cocky. They forget what it was like to be honorable, and instead revel in the fortunes of war." The puppet master sat next to her with his hands on his knees, his fingers tapped away like they had strings attached to them.

"They're misguided, I want to change that. However, the 'council' deems me to be unsuitable for the title of Kazekage. They don't think I'm strong enough, they want someone like Gaara to do it."

"Why won't he?" The pinkette pressed, and the man next to her laughed.

"It's not that he won't, it's just that they don't think he's perfect for the job either. Gaara is violent, selfish, and unmerciful. While he could get us far just by riding his coat tails it would only make for more wars, and he would not hesitate to kill his own people-"

"He's not like that anymore! He's making great changes-!" Sakura tried arguing, but Kankuro hushed her.

"Do you really believe that? What do you think he does when you're not around, hmm? Do you think he just sits on his ass, eating a lollipop?" The puppet master grew a bit angry over the topic, and she could tell that it had been bothering him for a while. "I bet he's maiming someone right this very second-!"

"Just because he stormed off doesn't mean he's going to kill someone. The only threat I heard from him tonight was that he would kill anyone who came on to me. To be honest you should be happy he left, otherwise he would have killed two council members-"

"He gave you away to one." Kankuro said lowly, and it seemed that he had been there to witness the whole entire exchange.

"Gaara didn't know that those men were going at my throat, and he doesn't need to know either-!" She was about to tear him a new one when low and behold Gaara walked up the steps from the courtyard.

'Uh oh...'

"I just love it when people talk behind my back, especially the ones I favor most." The redhead's eyes were glowing, but with what emotion remained unclear. It were as if he were perfectly calm, laying in wait like a silent panther. Yet there was something off about him.

"You deserve it." The puppet master huffed, and she watched as Gaara's head turned painfully slow in his direction. The moon glinting strangely off his eyes.

"Excuse me-?"

"You heard me, you ignorant bastard." Kankuro looked him dead in the eye without a single trace of fear. The redhead seemed to smirk at this.

"You're not afraid of me." Gaara seemed amused while his brother violently shook his head.

"No, I am done with your bullshit." The puppet master hissed before standing, storming over to him with the intent to harm. Before she knew what she was doing she put herself between them.

"It's not his fault, Kankuro! He didn't know!" Sakura suddenly started to yell, as if it would defend the man behind her more.

"I didn't know what, Sakura?" The redhead's humor left him instantly, chilling the air with his aura while also heating it with the sound of her name. She couldn't open her mouth, she didn't want him to be angry...

"Well, for starters, that guy Hojo cornered her at one point to creep on her. Then when your ass decided to ditch you left her in the hands of that old guy Hebiki, who might I add called her a 'leaf whore'-"

"Kankuro, that's enough!" The pinkette tried putting her hands over his mouth, but Kankuro quickly pushed them away.

"He said that once you were done with her he'd have the guards send her his way, so that him and the rest of the council can do whatever the fuck they want to her-!"

"ENOUGH!" Sakura screamed at him, at first gaining a glare of betrayal from the puppet master, but his face quickly changed when he saw her begin to crack. "I didn't want... I didn't want him to know..."

She quickly tried to conceal a tear by wiping her cheek with the back of her hand, but another just fell forward to replace it.

"I'm going to bed... I don't want to talk about this anymore." The pinkette couldn't look the redhead in the face, she felt so embarrassed over the whole thing. Instead she merely began making her way back to the main building.

The two she left behind began talking normally to each other, and she was grateful that at least her outburst had now kept them from fighting.

\- … - …..

Gaara hadn't planned for something like this to happen. If anything he actually had high hopes that the night would end well, but of course his rotten luck would have it turn sour.

'Perhaps I really did get bad luck when I broke that mirror-'

"So, are you going to kill them? If you do, you know the rest of the village will be in an uproar." Kankuro spoke, still a bit bitter over the events of the evening.

The redhead couldn't say anything, he was at a loss for words. He had left her all alone with the very men that he knew had it out for her. He was a failure as a mate, and his shame was beginning to make him immobile.

"Are you fucking listening to me-?"

"Yes. I'm sorry." Gaara blurted out before walking dejectedly over to the railing to look out into the night.

His vision was a bit off, still woozy from the alcohol he had snatched from one of the more drunken guests. Luckily for him the alcohol seemed to metabolize fast due to the fact that he was a jinchuriki.

He remembered leaving Sakura in able to go find the 'liquid courage'. No, he had never truly gotten drunk before, but from what alcohol he had in the past he knew that people always thought of him to be friendlier with a drink.

Surprise-surprise, Gaara was a giddy drunk.

At any rate he knew that people did ridiculous things when under the influence, so he thought he would use that to his advantage.

Turns out that he's a bit more than 'happy' with half a bottle of hard liquor. For some reason he turned into a rather forward flirt. He knew he had been hitting on her when he had returned to Sakura's side, but literally half the conversation was a blur.

The redhead did remember her shooting him down, and the bitterness that came with it especially after they had made plans for 'private' activities later. It had left him for a complete loop.

Then he did something extremely stupid, he left her with the very crowd he hated most.

'I'm such an idiot.' Gaara shamed himself with a sigh, noting his brother now was on the approach.

"You said to them that if they disrespected her that you would torture them. To be honest I think you should act on that promise." The puppet master leaned with him against the balcony, looking out at the same night sky. "Teach them a lesson, and then go apologize to Sakura."

Silence fell again at the sound of her name. The redhead felt like burying himself in a hole out of guilt.

"You made her cry-"

"I fucking know that!" Gaara surprised himself with his own outburst. He had never felt so guilty before, nor had he ever cared about someone else's wellbeing in such a way. His chest was starting to hurt. "Will she feel better... will she smile again?"

The redhead had meant to keep such questions to himself, but he felt that his mind was becoming more and more scattered every day.

"Just go beat those idiots up, and then apologize to her. If she starts turning her attitude around then seize the moment, and do something you know she'll love." Kankuro patted his younger brother on the shoulder, but something about it felt off. He felt tense.

The inkling had been there for a long time. From the first moment the puppet master had mentioned taking her, to him always questioning about her, even tonight with his gallant 'rescue'.

Gaara had heard them, he had been out in the courtyard practically underneath them at the foot on the large staircase.

He had heard his brother's anger, his malice towards the younger for his selfish behavior. However, had it been a different woman the redhead knew that Kankuro would have acted differently. He wouldn't have given a single shit about any other female...

But Sakura... she was special, and he knew that there was a jealousy there that bubbled under the surface.

"You like her, don't you?" Gaara murmured softly, and while he didn't want to know the answer he knew he had to know it anyways.

It went quiet, nothing but the breeze was heard between them for what seemed like an eternity. Finally Kankuro shifted, and cleared his throat.

"She belongs to you, not me-" His older brother dodged the question, making it painfully obvious how he truly felt on the matter.

"I'm not talking about that. Do you love her?" The redhead pressed, and the silence that followed was palpable.

He didn't want to know, but he had to know. She was important to him, as was his own brother. Gaara had never felt so torn in his entire life-

"I don't know her that well to answer such a question, but I'm sure if she had came to me instead of you I would have fallen head over heels... but..." Kankuro gave a pitiful laugh before shaking his head.

"...I may like her, but you love her, so I will only ever further your relationship with her. You don't have to be concerned about me sabotaging anything. You are my brother... I could never do that to you."

Gaara felt his brother's words wash over him, dousing the redhead with a wave of care that awakened him. Kankuro was his brother, and he knew he could trust him regardless of his feelings for the pinkette.

For some reason it felt like so many peaceful doors opened up in his mind. There were so many thoughts... good thoughts.

"I trust you." Gaara murmured, not failing to notice how his older brother tensed up completely.

'I've... never said those words before in my life... he must know this too.'

"Heh, well then I guess I'm going with you to kick some council ass. Someone has got to watch your back!" The puppet master gave a hearty laugh.

Yes, this was an alliance that the redhead had truly needed. For once he felt grateful to have an older brother.

\- ... -

"I told you all what would happen, yet you chose to ignore my warnings. Why is that?" Gaara purred at Hojo, reveling in the man's fear as he was held captive in a coffin of sand. "It's almost as if you had asked me to kill you outright-"

"NO PLEASE!" The middle aged man shrieked, squirming in his sand entrapment. It pleased the redhead to no end, the man who had made his mate feel uncomfortable was about to receive that feeling tenfold.

Gaara reared his dominant hand back, and pushed it faster than his sand could follow. He was able to strike the man in the cheekbone with a bare fist, and even though it stung it was just as equally satisfying.

Hojo groaned with confusion, but before he could collect himself the redhead struck again, and again, and again.

The sand was trying to keep up, but wasn't fast enough. Every bare fist connected beautifully as he beat this horrid man in the face-

"Woah woah!" Kankuro stepped in then, grabbing at the pummeling arm to hold it back from laying down another strike. "Hey, I know it's great getting revenge, but if you kill him it'll be your head on the chopping block-"

"Just one more-" Gaara argued, but the puppet master shook his head.

"Gaara... he's already unconscious." The older brother pointed to the limp person within the redhead's sand, and sure enough Hojo was out for the count.

'Damn.' Gaara inwardly cursed, wanting nothing more than to continue punching the guy until he felt better. However, he had to admit that his knuckles were definitely going to bruise after this.

He loosened the sand, and watched as Hojo fell unceremoniously to the ground in a heap.

"Alright, who's next?" The redhead cracked his neck, and then his knuckles before shaking them out.

"Hebiki is unconscious too, remember? I handled that one-"

"Well, I'll just break his legs then..." Gaara snickered for a moment, but his face dropped when he saw a strange look on his brother's features. "What?"

"Dude, it's done. Go take care of your girl." Kankuro frowned for a moment, but then a sly smirk graced his face. "Fine, if you want to go pummel some faces be my guest. I'll go visit Sakura, and make sure she's okay."

"No, you will not." The redhead barked at his brother, getting a snicker in return.

"I specifically remember you telling me how to handle my women, that I needed a firm hand?" The puppet master grinned ear to ear, making the younger brother uneasy. "Well, right now Sakura needs a 'gentle' hand. Maybe a nice massage, and a steamy bubble bath-"

"Is that what you want written on your tombstone?" Gaara glared with every fiber of his being, but didn't expect the bellowing laughter that followed.

"I'm joking! Get a grip, man! I'm not going to fuck your girl, but you need to step up. I've never seen a woman look so god damn stunning, and your standing here looking for a fight rather than doing her proper! You need to get those priorities straight before she finds 'comfort' somewhere else." Kankuro scolded him thoroughly. The redhead went completely dumb, he knew his brother was right, but he was so pissed that he didn't want to admit it.

"Gaara, go find Sakura! Fucking hell-!"

"Alright! I'm going!" Gaara barked ferociously before beginning his trek towards the living quarters. He heard Kankuro shout a few lewd well wishes, but it didn't soften his stomping feet as he moved angrily through the halls.

\- ... - ... -

She wasn't in his room, and that was a bad sign.

Gaara thought about leaving her to her own devices for the night, but then again he knew he had to make things right as soon as possible. With a groan he made his way to the harem room, but didn't bother knocking on the door before entering.

The room was empty, but her dress was on the floor. In fact, all of her beautiful items were strewn everywhere, most likely in a fit of anger.

A bubbling sound caught his attention, and he saw that the stone bath had been filled to the brim with hot water. Sakura was at the bottom of the tub, eyes shut tight as she let the air escape from her lungs.

He waited for her to come back up, but then noticed that she seemed to be making it a game to practically drown herself.

He reached in, unceremoniously grabbing her from both sides to yank her to the surface. She jolted, gasping for air as she struck him hard in the chest like an enraged feline.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screamed with every strike, not bothering to open her eyes.

"Stop acting like a fool, and I will!" Gaara seethed, tightening his grip around her until she finally calmed. He eventually let her go with a sigh, and watched mournfully as she sank back down to shoulder level.

"What do you want? I'm busy-" Her tone was not appreciative.

"Sorry to take you away from your 'drowning', but I want you to know that those men will not approach you again." The redhead huffed stubbornly. She whipped around, wiping her vision of water while looking him over. She seemed almost confused by his appearance.

'She's expecting blood...' He finally guessed.

"I talked to them, isn't that a surprise?"

The pinkette's mouth hung open slightly, completely shocked by his testimony. However, he wasn't being completely honest.

"Alright, I threatened a little bit... well... okay more than threatened-"

"Gaara." Sakura spoke in a warning tone, forcing him to look off to the side shamefully to avoid her judging eyes. "Did you torture them?"

"Torture is a strong word, more like 'physically pressured'..." Gaara broke into a small smile for a moment, but then cleared his throat when he caught her glaring. "I didn't mangle them, and you can blame Kankuro for Hebiki's broken jaw."

She didn't seem amused, and he found himself scrambling.

"Just know that I took care of it, and if it happens again they know full well that I will come to kill them. I made that fact more than crystal clear." The redhead sighed as he sat on the edge of the tub. She was still glaring at him, as if expecting him to say something else...

'What does she want-?'

"Do you regret leaving me?" Sakura murmured softly as she brought her wet knees to her chin. Her words finally hit him, and he realized that he had forgotten something crucial.

"Yes, but I also wish that you could have relaxed a bit on the dance floor..." Gaara huffed stubbornly, but regretted it as soon as her face soured.

"Gaara, there were more than a few eyes as well as ears on us. I had to be careful-"

"They already assume that we've gone all the way, why does it even matter-?!"

"Because they think I'm your whore! Not your girlfriend, mate, partner, whatever you like to call it... they think that I am your... sex slave." The pinkette sighed, turning on the hot water faucet. While her words stung, he could also see now why she would be hesitant, but she also hated these people so why should it matter?

"Who cares what they think?! They are all useless wastes of space! Meaningless in the grand scheme of things! All that matters is how I feel for you!" The redhead started to argue vehemently, but never rose up from his spot on the edge of the basin.

"And how do you feel about me, Gaara? Do you love me?" The pinkette stared at the water, shocking him to the point where he couldn't respond right away.

'What am I to say to that?! "Yes, I love you. Please, be mine?" I can't say that to her!' His mind was running a million miles per minute, and he felt every muscle in his body clench as he finally found some word vomit to spew at her.

"Don't ask questions that you don't want to know the answer to." Gaara huffed, looking away from her with a small flush. Then he heard the water shift, and two wet arms wrapped around his center as she molded herself to his back.

'Just say it. "I love you." It's not that difficult-!'

"You're getting me wet..." The redhead huffed, and inwardly slapped himself for his stupidity.

Suddenly he felt a great pull from her, and his whole world turned as she pulled him into the hot water. His whole body was able to go under, and for a second he flailed splashing water everywhere.

Finally he came back up to the surface with a snarl. It scared her enough to squeal, and attempt flight, but his reflexes were quick enough to snatch up her ankle to yank her back under the water.

They wrestled, fought, pushed and pulled until the bath turned into a stormy ocean. Somehow he was underneath her, wondering why she was sitting on his waist before she slammed his shoulders against the edge of the bath in frustration.

"Apologize!" Sakura barked. He bared his teeth at her in response, causing her fist to yank at his red hair. Pulling his head back painfully he gave a harsh groan of discomfort, but something about it was strangely erotic. He was beginning to like how her dominance felt.

"Say you're sorry! For everything that happened! For leaving me! For... not being nice to me..."

Her hand finally relaxed, and she leaned in next to him to rest her head on the side of the tub. He reached for the tap, turning it off with a long sigh of resignation. He knew he was going to have to humble himself to make this right again.

They remained silent until the water was finally still.

"Sakura... I'm sorry..." Gaara murmured softly before his head dipped into the crook of her neck. His arms wrapped around her possessively as he nuzzled against her. Her naked form felt so soft under his gripping hands. "I'm sorry. I've been too... neurotic. My desires have turned me into a shameful man..."

The redhead adjusted himself into a more proper sitting position, her body slid down until she was nestled sweetly in his lap. Her form felt small in his arms, almost breakable. Like he could snap her if he truly wanted to.

Only he didn't want to kill her, if anything he wished that all barriers between them would disappear. Had he just stripped down before all of this they could have been in a perfectly precarious situation.

Well... they still could be.

The pinkette pulled away to look at him in the face, and the hard blush that hit her cheeks was flattering as well as telling.

"While I do apologize for it, can you really blame me for wanting you? I've tasted you... touched you... I've become greedy for it, and you keep so much to yourself." Gaara's hands gripped at her bottom, and he pulled hard on her hips to grind with her. A small gasp escaped her, and it left him wanting more.

His desire finally reached a tipping point, it left him licking his lips before purring gently.

"I want to be inside you... I want to feel you around me." 


	8. Chapter 8

Sakura sank into the giant stone bathtub, she had no desire to stay in Gaara's room tonight so she went to the one room she hated most. Thankfully she brought her own clothes this time.

The pinkette sat in the water for a long while, and had already washed her hair. At the moment she only had conditioner sitting on it, but with a hard sigh she dunked her head under the surface. Her eyes clenching tight as she sunk to the bottom of the deep bath.

She held her breath for as long as possible, and even after she released it she continued to stay under for an even longer time. She already felt a bit dizzy, and wondered if it would be okay if she just drowned-

Something reached in, grabbing her from both sides to yank her to the surface. Once above, she inhaled with a sharp gasp before hitting the assailant repeatedly in the chest.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screamed with every strike, not bothering to open her eyes.

"Stop acting like a fool, and I will!" The rasped voice barked, and she didn't have to hear him speak twice to know it was Gaara.

Of course, who else could it be? He could never leave her alone to bathe.

"What do you want? I'm busy-"

"Sorry to take you away from your 'drowning', but I want you to know that those men will not approach you again." As that sentence sunk in she feared for the worst. She wiped her vision of water, expecting to see him covered in blood, but there was none to be found. He had lost the jacket and tie, and his knuckles seemed to be raw from hitting something. Other than that there was no carnage. "I talked to them, isn't that a surprise?"

The pinkette's mouth hung open slightly, completely shocked that he just admitted to not murdering in her name.

"Alright, I threatened a little bit... well... okay more than threatened-"

"Gaara." Sakura spoke in a warning tone, forcing him to look off to the side shamefully. "Did you torture them?"

"Torture is a strong word, more like 'physically pressured'..." Gaara broke into a small smile for a moment, but then cleared his throat when he caught her glaring. "I didn't mangle them, and you can blame Kankuro for Hebiki's broken jaw."

She waited in silence, anticipating an apology or a confession. His expression flittered a few times before continuing.

"Just know that I took care of it, and if it happens again they know full well that I will come to kill them. I made that fact more than crystal clear." The redhead sighed as he sat on the edge of the tub. She could tell that an apology was on the tip of his tongue, but his pride was preventing him from saying it.

"Do you regret leaving me?" Sakura murmured softly as she brought her wet knees to her chin. She hugged her legs for self comfort, yet it still didn't do much to ease her.

"Yes, but I also wish that you could have relaxed a bit on the dance floor..." Gaara huffed stubbornly, and it made her frustration skyrocket once more.

"Gaara, there were more than a few eyes as well as ears on us. I had to be careful-"

"They already assume that we've gone all the way, why does it even matter-?!"

"Because they think I'm your whore! Not your girlfriend, mate, partner, whatever you like to call it... they think that I am your... sex slave." The pinkette sighed, turning on the hot water faucet for extra added heat. The temperature was almost blistering already, but she was still feeling cold.

"Who cares what they think?! They are all useless wastes of space! Meaningless in the grand scheme of things! All that matters is how I feel for you!" The redhead started to argue vehemently, but never rose up from his spot on the edge of the basin.

"And how do you feel about me, Gaara? Do you love me?" The pinkette questioned him.

Why was she asking that, and why did it seem so sad coming from her lips? Perhaps she wished that he did, and that would be at least one person who truly loved her like she always wanted. Someone who wasn't already dead, or had left her behind.

Sakura wanted to be loved, but all of her relationships, even with friends and family, ended up failing in some way.

"Don't ask questions that you don't want to know the answer to." Gaara huffed, looking away from her with a small flush.

She was done with this. This weird dance with him was driving her insane. She reached up, hugging him around the waist feeling him tense.

She just needed to be comforted, she needed to feel close to someone. The desperation was there, and it was glaring.

"You're getting me wet..." The redhead turned his head further to huff, and she felt something snap inside her. With every ounce of her strength she yanked him into the large bath. His whole body was able to go under, and for a second he flailed splashing water everywhere.

He turned around while snarling at her like a vicious dog while she practically jumped out of the water. She squeaked when his hands dove under, pulling at her ankle until she was submerged.

Sakura splashed around, coughing and breathing fresh air as soon as she was able. Her fingers latched onto his wet shirt, tugging it away from his skin in able to regain balance. He started to snicker, and in another wave of anger she kicked at his legs, sweeping him back under the hot water.

The bath had turned into a wave pool, splashing out over the floor while more water was still being poured in by the faucet. Some how she got him completely under her, and she slammed him by the shoulders against the wall of the basin while she sat on his waist.

"Apologize!" Sakura barked, and when he bared his teeth at her she fisted her hand in his hair. Yanking his head back painfully he gave a harsh groan of discomfort. "Say you're sorry! For everything that happened! For leaving me! For... not being nice to me..."

Her hand relaxed, and her head rested next to his. She felt the coolness of the stone basin on her forehead, while his abdominal muscles seemed to tense under her thighs. She felt him reach for the tap, turning it off with a long sigh.

They remained silent until the water was finally still.

"Sakura... I'm sorry..." Gaara murmured softly before his head dipped into the crook of her neck. His arms wrapped around her possessively as he nuzzled against her. "I'm sorry. I've been too... neurotic. My desires have turned me into a shameful man..."

The redhead adjusted himself into a more proper sitting position, the water coming up just under their chests. Her body slid down him naturally, and she found herself quickly seated in his lap.

The pinkette pulled away from him to gauge his thoughts, and was shocked by the intense gaze he gave her. While his eyes were surrounded by darkness she could now see the water dripping sinfully off his lashes. His red hair sticking to his forehead in a piecey mess. He looked far too sultry to be real.

"While I do apologize for it, can you really blame me for wanting you? I've tasted you... touched you... I've become greedy for it, and you keep so much to yourself." Gaara's hands gripped at her bottom, and he pressed down hard in able to get her to rock against him. A small gasp escaped her lips, and she watched carefully as his eyes grew lidded. "I want to be inside you... I want to feel you around me-"

"Gaara, no. I'm not ready for that..." Sakura tried turning away from him, but one hand turned her chin while the other wrapped around her waist. His hips rose up to meet hers again, gaining a soft groan from both of them.

"I know that, but it doesn't stop me from thinking about it." The redhead panted, his fingers gliding along the skin of her throat. He wrapped his hand around it gently, rubbing her jugular with his thumb. "Every day... I think about it. I try to imagine what it would feel like to be inside you, pleasuring you-"

"Stop this." The pinkette batted his hand away, but he pressed her hips down hard as he lifted his own. She shook violently, and gave a true moan while he looked on in wonder.

"That sound, make it again... I want to hear you beg for me." Gaara held onto her tightly, grinding against her. His mouth went in to suck at her neck, and it had her so overwhelmed that her voice went up in pitch.

Sakura could feel how hard he was through his pants, and how his muscles would tense every time he moved. She wanted to feel them directly under her fingertips.

Her hands traveled to his shirt, plucking each button one by one on the way down to reveal his smooth wet chest. There was no netting this time, just silky pale skin that was hot to the touch. He broke away from her to watch as she finished undoing his shirt, his eyes glazed over with an emotion that she knew all too well.

"You're so beautiful..." Water dripped hypnotically from his lips as he nearly whispered. The redhead's unfocused eyes devoured her nudity, but it seemed that just grinding against her was not enough to quench his thirst. "Let me have you... please-"

"No." The pinkette was stern, but continued her own war of rolling her hips against his while slipping her hands into his open shirt. Her fingers reveled in the feeling of his working muscles, making her whimper with each hard movement. His hands lowered between them, and she knew exactly what he was doing. "Gaara... I said no..."

The redhead ignored her, and suddenly she felt his hand adjust his length out of his pants. He moved his hips in a way that the underside of his erection could slide against her folds, leaving him practically breathless, and her surprised.

"I wont go in... but... it's so close now..." Gaara panted excitedly, his hands now going to her hips for his fingertips to dig into. "This is my 'something'... I hope that's okay with you..."

'Clever bastard.' Her eyes narrowed, but he was correct, since it wasn't penetration it didn't count... but it was cutting it close for sure.

However, she found herself more humored by it rather than upset. She locked her eyes onto him, and rolled her hips sinfully against his. A whine erupted out of her as she did it, and he seemed to follow with a moan of his own.

The water around them made small waves as they moved together. At times he would get a bit antsy and begin kissing her chest, neck, jaw, and then eventually her mouth. The longer they did it the more intense his actions got. Occasionally he'd give a hard squeeze to her bottom, suck hard at her breasts, and sometimes bite at her neck and shoulders. He panted heatedly against her flesh while starting to groan continuously from the attention.

All his hard work was beginning to become her undoing. She rode her naked hips with his with an intensity that she didn't realize she had in her. Her body was pulsing for more, urging her to take it further when she knew she couldn't. She took out her frustration on his chest, clawing down the muscles as they tensed under her touch. His hands ran up her sides to tangle into her wet hair while she leaned forward to suck lasciviously along his neck.

"Fuck-" Gaara cursed as his coal rimmed eyes fluttered shut, she could feel his heart pounding rapidly in his chest as he whimpered. Her fingers latched in his hair for a light tug, and got a heavy whine for her effort. His movements grew more frantic, and his arm around her waist was holding her bruisingly tight so he could rock his hips even harder.

She moaned on his neck, then turned her face up to his ear, mewling against the shell while he shivered with each needy cry.

"Gaara... please..." Sakura knew he would be weakened to it, and as good as this felt she did not want to finish this way. Instead she wanted to really feel, and witness him do it. While she whined loudly next to his ear she heard him give another curse, this time it sounded almost like desperate prayer.

'He's so close...' The butterflies in her stomach wouldn't stop fluttering, the more he cried out in desperation to climax the more she felt those cries pang through her body in the most shameful of ways.

"Sakura-!" The redhead tilted his head back with a pitched moan, his hips rolling against her as his voice continued to cry and break. His breathing was panicked, his body arched up for one last grind before he came hard. She felt like she might be riding a bronco with how much he writhed beneath her. It was so incredibly sexy that she almost ended up getting there herself, and was somewhat disappointed when she felt her veins pulse with the absence of orgasm; screaming at her for being too cruel.

Gaara held her to him fast, his erection still pushing out what had been building up between them. The pinkette leaned her face upwards to kiss at his neck, occasionally giving long licks to wick away the water that had gathered along his pulse. She was in a state of arousal that had her doing strange things at the moment.

The redhead seemed to notice, and even in his hazy state he ended up raising a curious naked brow at her.

"I... seem to be the only one who got there...huh?" It was a rhetorical question, but for some reason he ended up laughing at himself. "I'm not very good at this-"

"No... you're wonderful..." Sakura ran her hands up his chest, and into his hair to scratch playfully at his scalp. His eyes watched her as if she were the most interesting thing on the planet. "I held off... on purpose..."

"Why?" His hairless brows furrowed, and his hand came up to trace her bottom lip with his thumb.

"I wanted to watch you first." The pinkette felt a sense of shamelessness, as if any and all truths could be told at this moment. He blinked at her owlishly for a second before looking away.

"Well... I hope I didn't disappoint... " Gaara formed a shy pout with his lips, and a flattering blush had tinged his cheeks. She almost couldn't take it anymore, and began reaching for his hands.

"You didn't-" Sakura pulled his hands over her wet frame, watching his expression carefully as he managed to swallow hard. She pushed his right hand downwards, and in between her legs. "-but now I need you to touch me-"

"Sakura, wait." The redhead held his hand firmly away from her, and she almost cried at the lack of feeling. He began moving them, but all she wanted was for him to touch her. She started to throw a fit, whining and smacking at him while he lifted her up out of the water to sit on the edge of the tub. Her feet were still submerged, but the rest of her body was exposed to him. "Forgive me, but I'd like to take the second choice of 'somethings' for tonight-"

"That's not fair-!" The pinkette went to argue at first, but he ignored her completely. Distracted in her anger she didn't realize what he was doing until his hands had parted her legs. He nestled his chest between them, wrapping his arms around her waist sweetly before kissing her stomach. "Wh-what...are you-?"

"I want to taste you properly." Gaara answered huskily, and she was shocked that he could already be so worked up after just finishing himself. His kisses went lower, and lower... and lower...

Sakura gasped as he quickly put one thigh over his shoulder, and placed his mouth over her aching heat. She mewled in approval, fisting her hands into his red hair to pull firmly at the locks. He let out a heated breath that flayed against her wet folds, and a slight breathy laugh escaped him before he took a few lascivious licks.

The pinkette whined, her figure started to rock itself shamelessly in ecstasy while he lapped at her. The occasional sucking had her throwing her head back in a hard pant while scraping her nails against his scalp.

The more he did it, the more strongly she'd react. She was already so worked up when he got to her that it didn't take long to get her to a steady point.

Sakura had never felt like this before, it was nothing like anything she could do to herself, and it was so intense that it had her trembling with the need to finish. There was no pain in the friction, no discomfort, only pleasure. As his mouth became more ardent she felt her legs clinging to his back while his fingers dug into her hips and thighs.

"...Gaara... yes..." The pinkette whined, her heart starting to race as her orgasm was fast approaching. Her body was shivering with need, and he answered by licking her as firmly as he could. When her hips went to buck in pleasure his strong hands held her steady, allowing her to have that fight that she needed for a great climax.

It was like a gunshot, loud and fast. Her hands pulled hard at his hair, and he groaned against her folds as he tried to keep up. She gave out high moan that quickly turned into a scream of ecstasy. Her blood pounded so hard that it was all she could hear in her ears. Her heartbeat was the only thing left of her before she took a much needed sharp inhale, coming back down into her body once more as oversensitivity took over.

He was still going, and as much as she liked his enthusiasm her body just couldn't handle that much attention.

"Stop!" Sakura squealed, her legs trying desperately to close even though he was still there, however his grip on her was great enough that she did not succeed.

Gaara pulled away from her with a lidded expression at first, but then a genuine smile made it's way across his features. He ended up chuckling as her expression grew more flustered.

"H-hey! Stop laughing-!"

"I'm sorry... you looked so cute..." The redhead panted slightly, and ended up licking his lips which only made her more bashful. "Did I do it right?"

The flush that took over her whole body was intense, she made a weird expression before hiding her face in her hands.

'Oh my god... I was screaming!'

"Sakura? I asked you a question..." She felt his hands go back to her thighs, steadily creeping up her frame to her waist, but she refused to look at him. "Did I do it right? Or perhaps I should try again-?"

"You did fine! Go away!" The pinkette shrieked at him before swinging her legs out of the tub. She quickly grabbed the towel next to her, and wrapped herself protectively in it. However, it didn't protect her from his laughter.

"There's no need to be embarrassed." He teased. She heard water sloshing around, as well as a drain being pulled. Then one by one his soaked clothing seemed to be plopped over the edge of the tub. She jumped when she saw it, and scurried over to the bed in the center of the room. Acting quickly she hid deep under the blankets, encasing herself in darkness.

Sakura knew he would follow her there, but at the moment she didn't want him to see her face, or tease her for how she had reacted.

"Sakura... Sakura... in spring sky as far as I see... is it mist or is it a cloud?~" Gaara sang her name in a familiar song, and hummed the rest of the tune as he approached. The edge of the blanket lifted, so she huddled further down. "There you are, cherry blossom, no more hiding-"

"Go away!" The pinkette pouted, and his brow furrowed before a sly smirk graced his features.

"Not a chance, not after hearing you scream like that..." His tone grew dark, sultry even. "How dare you tease me, and then hide away."

Suddenly he was crawling under those very same blankets as her, and for a moment it seemed that he was not dressed.

No, he truly was not dressed. At all.

"Stop!" Sakura shrieked as she felt him pawing at her in the dark. Her body was being pulled to him easily on the silk sheets. His mouth was on her flesh in an instant, kissing along her chest and up her neck. She didn't know why, but her hands clawed sinfully along his back making him drag his teeth down her jugular.

"I want to hear it again... say my name... scream it..." The redhead spoke huskily, tilting his mouth towards her ear to purr. "I am starving, and my appetite is insatiable-"

"Gaara, please! I can't take any more, it's too much!" The pinkette tried moving away from him once more, but his hands pulled hard on her hips bringing her under him. With one arm he held himself over her, and with the other his hand immediately found it's way between her legs. "Gaara! Stop-!"

"Ssh... hush now, I'm going to do something a little different-"

"It's going to hurt!" Sakura kicked her legs, and only recieved a breathy laugh for her effort. The feeling of his lips against the shell of her ear had her breaking out in goosebumps all over her body.

"You really think I would be so cruel? I have only showed you gentleness despite the fact that I have an intense desire for you." Gaara's words were whispered, but the meaning had her feeling a bit guilty. She began to relax, and a small sigh escaped him. "Yes... just relax..."

His fingers stroked gently at her wet heat, humming in approval over the state of arousal that she still seemed to be in. Suddenly her folds started to part, and she felt him slowly insert two digits inside of her.

Sakura was not completely foreign to this, as she had grown curious a few times, but having someone else do it had her tensing up almost painfully. As he moved his fingers out slowly she felt her sheath wanting to hold him in despite the fact that she wasn't sure if she wanted him there in the first place.

"You're burning up inside, I can feel it." The redhead panted excitedly against the shell of her ear. She squirmed slightly with shame, placing her hands over her face even though the blankets already hid them from the light. When he pumped them again she felt a familiar sensation, but it was also different. The fingers that were invasive before were now filling her with a pleasure that she hadn't felt before, a pleasure she was slowly starting to warm up to. "Is this okay?"

Although he asked a perfectly normal question she had to turn her face away, and this seemed to not sit well him. He removed his hand, and then flipped back the blanket to blind her. She felt as if it were agony, being teased in such a way only for him to stop so abruptly. He glared down at her, and it made the pinkette feel small.

"I wont do it unless you tell me that you want it." Gaara scolded her, and while she would usually feel upset by it for some reason she found it somewhat alluring tonight. "Say it."

The redhead was impatient, dark, and dominant. It was turning her on, and surprising her at the same time. She maneuvered her body into more relaxed position while keeping her eyes on his, and she let herself become vulnerable underneath him. Yet all it did was make him click his tongue.

"No, while I do appreciate this I still asked you a question. You will give me a verbal answer-"

Sakura whined like a spoiled child who refused to ask for something politely, and it got the redhead to raise a hairless brow at her display. A small smirk tried to make it's way across his lips, but he quickly narrowed his eyes instead.

"Say you want it." When she shook her head his voice lowered to a soft growl. "Say it."

Her heart was pounding so fast, and truth be told she wanted him to do it more than anything, but she didn't want to have that choice. She didn't want to come off as some sort of sex crazed nympho-

"Alright, I'm leaving." Gaara's lips formed a tight line as he began to move away from her, but before she knew it she was grabbing at one of his arms desperately. That tight line quickly formed a devilish smirk that he unfortunately could not hold back. "Say it then."

"I want it." The pinkette's voice came out small, but it seemed to have a good effect on him. She could see him breathe hard at her admission, goosebumps showing up on his skin while a shiver went down his spine.

"...Say it again." The redhead growled as he turned towards her, an animalistic instinct washing over him quickly. She could practically feel the heat radiating off of him.

"I want it." Sakura spoke more confidently, and that same shiver rippled through him as he pressed his mouth over hers.

She could taste a hint of herself on his lips, but it didn't bother her in the slightest. If anything it had her burning up at the reminder of what he had done to her. He pressed her back down onto the mattress, and held one knee up to her chest while his hand stroked her exposed sex. She gave a needy whimper, and he answered by slipping in two fingers. It was more accepted this time, and the more she relaxed into it the better it felt.

Gaara moved back slightly to get a view of what he was doing, and it was enough to make her squeak in bashfulness. However, the tone quickly changed as he began working a firm and steady pace on her. Forgetting her shyness she started to writhe in pleasure, her body moving like a snake as his digits pumped into her.

"You're getting so tight..." The redhead chuckled slightly, and although she felt thoroughly flustered by it the only thing she could do was moan for him. Her emotions didn't seem to matter anymore as her natural instinct took over. "Does it feel good?"

The pinkette mewled in answer, rolling her hips with his working hand finding it to be just that much sweeter. His eyes roamed her frame greedily, enjoying every second of pleasurable torture he placed on her. Soon he was hovering over her again, leaning in for a kiss that she was far too eager for.

Sakura moaned against his lips, occasionally panting his name in between rough kisses that took her breath away. Her nails raked against his skin, carving her way down his lean hips and toned thighs leaving him trembling underneath. When her hand accidentally ran across his groin she felt his hardened length, and grabbed hold of it with an almost painful firmness.

"Stop being...sneaky..." Gaara panted in between desperate kisses, and decided that moving faster was the best option. She tried stroking him, but was greatly distracted by what he was doing to her. Her head shot back as her body arched with his hand, stringing her tight like bow's string. She was too close to function properly anymore, so holding him tightly was all she could do. "That's it... scream for me-"

As he pushed harder she felt herself clenching around his fingers, crying out wildly from high pitches to low ones. Her body was breaking out into a sweat as the noises heaved from her throat, slowly causing her vocals to rasp from overuse. Her pink hair clung to her face as she rolled her head in pleasure. Just when she thought it was too much his hand began to slow, and she regained the breath that she had lost during the intense moment.

The redhead pulled back, chuckling slightly in a breathy tone while his eyes continued to study her. As she came back to reality she looked over to him, her heart still racing from what he had done to her.

"I've been wanting to do that all night." Gaara laughed genuinely then, and his smile was far too beautiful.

That same smile that he only ever showed to her. It was a gift, and she wanted to return it.

"You're too stunning for your own good, I was completely enchanted when you walked out of the bathroom in that dress." His eyes closed for a moment, as if he were remembering it fondly.

"Is that so?" She didn't know why at first that she was suddenly crawling over to him, and it didn't become apparent until she had placed her hands on his hips that she actually had a plan in mind. It was spontaneous, but she didn't care, this would be her 'something' for the night. "You didn't think about yourself... at all?"

His eyes opened as her hands stroked at his skin, they darted around her frame curiously before he bit his lower lip for just the briefest of moments.

"I tried not to... I'd just chase you away with the things I'd want to take from you-"

"Such a martyr, the demon that loves only itself is a total lie isn't it?" Sakura smirked, taking his erection into her hand to tease it with feathery strokes. He let out a slow, yet shaking breath, his eyes starting glaze from the second she had reached for it. "So, oh selfless one, I guess you wouldn't be interested in me putting this inside myself, would you?"

"Don't be cruel." Gaara narrowed his eyes in warning, but it only spurred her on.

"Are you sure? You could try begging for it. Who knows, maybe I'm in a giving mood-"

"You already told me 'no', and I already prepared myself for that rejection." The redhead snipped, his temper started to flare just the slightest. It seemed he was not one to be teased, even lightly.

"I didn't mean 'that' way. You assume there is only one part of me that can take you..." The pinkette lowered her head for a moment, and licked the underside of his length as his breath hitched. His breathing from then on out was a forceful pant.

"Do you want it?" She purred.

"Yes." There was no waiting, no thinking involved, he simply put his desire out there on the table. She snickered for a moment at his eagerness, finding him to be fairly innocent yet struck with a carnal need.

"What's the magic word?" Sakura giggled looking up at him from below his waist. His eyes unfocused, became lidded, and glazed over with lust as his lips parted.

"Please..." He breathed the word, and it made every hair raise up on her body.

"With sugar on top-" She gave a long lascivious lick before continuing. "-And ice cream in the middle?"

The redhead blinked at her for a moment as his cheeks began to flush. He looked like he might faint from the attention.

"Yes... sugar... ice cream... middle..." Gaara's words came out choppy, as if he forgot what language was. She full on laughed at his display, but decided against teasing him any further.

The second the pinkette wrapped her lips around him he let out a groan of relief. His fingers tangled in her pink hair, but he was incredibly gentle with her scalp.

She remembered things that Ino had told her about her 'oral' encounters. There was to be no touching from her teeth, that was a given. The tip was the most sensitive part, that was second. Last, but certainly not least, the penis was not the only part that was to receive attention; the testicles were just as important.

It was funny how other women would rave about their talent in merely placing their mouth on a man, and calling it a day, but Ino had made sure that Sakura knew that there was a lot more to it than that.

As the redhead let out a rather youthful whimper she seized that moment to cup him gently in her hand. The fingers in her hair clenched while he gave a full moan.

He was far too precious, sounding like a young teenager during his first sexual experience. She reveled in the idea that she was tainting him in some way; tainting this 'monstrous' man who always seemed to have blood drenched in his clothes.

Sakura was enjoying herself, and that scared her a little bit, but just because it was new and odd didn't mean that she would stop herself. That would be true cruelty.

"Sakura..." Gaara whimpered, his hands clenching and opening in her hair. As she swirled her tongue around his tip she witnessed him not only cry out harshly, but tremble as well. He was shivering hard, and his skin started to sweat while he gave shaking breaths. He would whisper her name, whimper it, and cry it out like a mantra. It left her feeling high with how she could bring such a 'frightening' person literally to their knees. "S-stop... please..."

She didn't, she knew why he wanted her to do so, but she didn't care. His hands tried to push her away, weakly one might add, but she stayed regardless of the fact that he was also trying to pull her hair. She became more vigorous, and soon his hips were rising up to meet her with each bob of her head.

"No! Stop!" The redhead cried out, but after it was said she went harder, and she could practically feel the shock go through him as he groaned loudly through his teeth. She felt him start to pulse on her tongue, and as a wave of bitter salt splashed into her mouth she quickly tried gulping it back. It wasn't as fluid as she would have liked, but it wasn't awful either.

The fingers in her hair loosened, and all the muscles that were clenched up relaxed almost instantly. The only sound left was that of his panting breath. Pulling away she wiped her mouth smartly, giving him a rather smug smile.

"Did I do it right?" Sakura teased, and while he did blush he also got a tired laugh out of it.

"I think so... however we could try again-" Gaara said with a exhausted smile, and she balked at his suggestion.

"Stop getting greedy!" She smacked at his thigh, gaining another laugh for her trouble. "How about instead of acting like an ass you can thank me with a glass of water?"

As much as it made him wince he also couldn't stop his snickers. While she turned to lay on her stomach she felt the bed move as he got up to do the exact thing she had told him to do.

'He's such a puppy.' The pinkette giggled inwardly, thinking how he could literally eat from the palm of her hand while also licking it completely clean. 'Oh, boy... He's got a talent for that too...'

"Here." The redhead was now holding out a glass of water for her, and surprisingly wearing a nice black robe. When she looked him over questioningly his cheeks managed to tinge pink. "Um... it was by the closet... I can get you one too-"

"No need." Sakura smirked as she rolled onto her side, taking a long drink of the water he had given her. From the corner of her eye she could tell he was studying her naked form, and for some reason she liked the attention. She pulled the drink away from her lips to place it down on the nightstand before truly staring him down. "Well, thank you for such a wonderful evening. You were a fantastic bed partner, but now I must bid you farewell. The door is that way."

She pointed to the door, and gave him a sinister smile, which he returned in kind.

"Kicking me out-?"

"Well, that's what you're here for right? To please me? You've done your job well enough." The pinkette looked at her nails, pretending to be aloof with him just to get under his skin. It seemed to be working for the most part. "Oh, I forgot to ask what your going rates are- AAACK!"

With a ferocious snarl he tackled her onto the bed, and while it surprised her she couldn't help but laugh hysterically as he growled against her neck. He seemed to understand the joke, and it put a nice spin on things.

"Back! Back I say! You little beastie-!" Sakura almost snorted as she smacked at his shoulder, but he stopped abruptly to glare at her.

"I am not 'little'." Gaara spoke in a low tone that sent pleasant shivers down her spine. She lowered her lashes for him, and bit her lip.

"You're right. You're a big, intimidating, enticing, and handsome beast." The pinkette purred, and as he tried to inch closer she proceeded to crawl away.

"Flattery will get you nowhere-" He smirked.

"Wrong! You're already trying to paw at me again, you're incorrigible." Sakura turned her head defiantly, but it only gave him an opening to kiss her neck. "Hey! I'm tired-!"

"Hello, tired. I'm incorrigible, it's a pleasure to meet you." Gaara bit down, and when she jolted his hands gripped greedily around her frame. She smacked at his shoulder a few times, receiving a snicker against her skin.

"I can't believe you just made that joke!" The pinkette scoffed, but quickly became putty in his roaming hands while he worked his magic on her neck. It had her humming, and relaxing in his strong arms. "I'm about to fall asleep..."

"Let me sleep next to you then..." The redhead's heated breath flayed against her skin, and his weight on top of her was more than welcome.

"You really shouldn't." Sakura pet his hair while he kissed down her collar to the center of her chest, it was the place where he finally rested his head despite the fact of it being bare.

"I know...but I still want to." Gaara's arms gripped her possessively, and her heart began to sink thinking about his predicament.

"Have you talked to 'him' about it? You two talk often don't you?" The pinkette kept her tone gentle, as she was prodding at a very delicate topic. He nuzzled further against her chest at first before giving a tired sigh.

"It's like talking to a wall. He is stuck in his ways thinking that everyone must die-"

"Including me?" Sakura blurted, and felt stupid for asking such a thing. When he didn't answer she felt that she had recieved her answer.

"I don't... like to talk about you with him... but I can tell he likes you. However, I don't want to share you with him..." The redhead's hold tightened, but his words confused her.

"What do you mean by 'share'?" She asked carefully, and when he stiffened she felt a bit nervous to know the answer.

"We share a body... he knows what I know... and can feel what I feel... I believe this is why he likes you." Gaara almost whispered, then some sort of desperation came over him. It inspired him to move upwards to hold her more protectively. She could feel a sense of anxiety wash over him as he held her. "He made me an offer recently... after our first... whatever you'd like to call it, and I don't think the risk is worth it."

"He made an offer? Like what?" The pinkette was already suspicious of the being inside of him, and felt her caution become validated rather quickly.

"Time with you... in exchange for the first peaceful night's sleep I've ever had in my entire life." The redhead sighed before shaking his head. "I'd rather die of insomnia-"

"You should accept it." Sakura stated calmly, and he instantly pushed himself up to truly look at her face. He looked absolutely horrified.

"You can't be serious! He would kill you-!"

"If he wanted to kill me he obviously wouldn't care enough to want my company." The pinkette deadpanned while he gaped at her for even trying to defend the beast.

"And what if it's something more sinister than that?" Gaara narrowed his eyes in warning, jealousy clear on his features. While she was worried about something like that she also knew that any chance he had at getting some rest was probably worth it.

She'd probably have to bargain with this one, and with the last card in her hand no less. However, she desperately wanted to give him some sort of peace... so handing over her final ace seemed only natural.

No, it was more than that. She honestly just wanted him to have it.

"You can take the bargain... after you've had me for yourself..." Sakura said it in a small voice, but it made a great enough impact on him that he started to forget how to breathe.

"Sakura... I... I can't do that-"

"Oh don't lie, you know you'd fuck me in a heartbeat." The pinkette scoffed, and while the idea seemed to dawn on him with a fierce reddening of his cheeks he also seemed to shake the thought literally from his head.

"I...no-wait... yes... I mean... yes. Yes, I would, but it's not right for me to feed you to a monster just so I can actually sleep for once." While he seemed a bit mixed in his emotions she could see the weariness in his eyes. He just... looked so exhausted. The idea must have been haunting him for so long now...

She'd have to force him to do this somehow, yet an idea came to her quicker than she thought.

"Gaara, I give you full permission to have sex with me whenever you so choose, but afterwards you will answer to the one tail's demands. Then you can finally get the rest you deserve." Sakura laid out the bargain for him, and he merely stared at her as if she were insane.

"You can't be... serious-"

"Deadly serious. I'll meet him head on for you, I'm not scared of him."

That was a filthy lie, ever since that day in the forest she was scared shitless of the bijuu that lived inside of him. The sand beast had almost killed her, yet she was sure that Gaara had somehow made it so she could live another day. She truly believed that deep in her heart.

His face started to twist, and his jealousy seemed to erupt.

"Then I guess I'll just stay abstinent!" The redhead barked at her. She frowned, thinking that he was blowing this out of proportion.

However, there were sneakier ways to get what she wanted, and she decided to use what she had at full force.

"That's too bad... I was really looking forward to it." The pinkette stretched languidly underneath him, and just like that she had his undivided attention. "After the amount of talent you've shown me tonight I'm positive that you must be a complete animal in the bedroom. I guess I'll just have to use my imagination-"

"Stop teasing." Gaara growled at her, making her raise a well groomed brow at him.

"What am I going to do? I don't think I've ever wanted anyone so badly in my life..." Her hands wandered her own body in the most sensual of ways, making him stare at her with a hungry expression. "Don't you want me too?"

As she reached up to stroke his cheek he leaned his head into her hand before kissing longingly against her wrist. His eyes were dark with desire, holding an almost bitter expression.

"You're so cruel..." The redhead murmured against the inside of her delicate wrist. She watched in wonder as he inhaled her scent while growing more enraged. "Why don't you ever shut up? I'm so sick of your twisted bullshit-"

"Excuse me?" Sakura furrowed her brow both in insult, and confusion. Her words seemed to wake him up to his odd behavior, cueing a horrified look in his eyes as he realized that he had spoken aloud.

"N-not you! I'm sorry, I wasn't talking to you!" Gaara seemed truly upset by this, and while she loved to watch him act like an innocent little boy she didn't truly want to cause him any harm. She reached up to soothe him, scratching with a feather light touch along his nape.

"Ah, I see. Well, if you're going to talk to him out loud can you make sure to let me know that its 'him' you're talking to, and not me?" The pinkette snickered while another blush graced his cheeks, although this time it was merely out of awkwardness.

The redhead couldn't seem to speak, and her only confirmation was a quick and awkward nod of his head. He was too distraught to tease any further, so she decided to end their discussion for the night.

"So, am I sleeping here? Or downstairs?" Sakura smiled warmly at him, and he blinked as if he were stunned by her somehow.

"I don't want you to get dressed..." Gaara started pouting, causing her to roll her eyes at him.

"Oh my god, you are such a brat!" While her words sounded mean, the little smile that went with them told him that she was merely playing. He seemed to take it well enough, managing a smirk if his own. She rolled over, and felt him cuddle up close to her. With a wave of his hand the sand in his gourd by the bed started to move at his will, going around to each oil lamp to douse them for the night.

Sakura watched curiously as the grains sparkled in the moonlight, wondering how he could get them to move on a chakra level. She felt him nuzzle the back of her neck, and breathe slowly. It were as if he was truly about to go to sleep, although she knew better than that.

"Goodnight, Sakura." The redhead whispered as he clung to her naked frame under the sheets. She moved even closer to him.

"Goodnight, Gaara, sleep well-"

"You know I wont." He huffed, and it was cute enough to make her laugh.

"I know, but I can still wish for it, right?" The pinkette hummed before truly feeling fatigue hit her, and she started to drift to the sounds of his calm breathing.

"I love you."

She could have sworn she heard him say that, but she wasn't completely certain. Perhaps it was only a dream.

Yet, it warmed her heart in places that she thought were completely destroyed. Places she could have sworn were broken inside of her.

She wished it were real. 


	9. Chapter 9

When Sakura woke up she was once again alone, but this was the norm for her. Somehow he would always manage to slip away unnoticed, and for once she wished she could wake up to him laying by her side.

The pinkette yawned, and stretched. She looked around herself to find that her clothes were neatly folded next to the bed, unlike the original way she had tossed them in pile.

She didn't think Gaara to be a 'neat freak' due to that one frightening room she had been stuck in with him in the beginning, but he seemed to have proved her wrong. Every day things were put exactly in their proper place.

Sakura thought about the day she had first been placed in his 'care'. That meeting between them had been frightening at first, however if she were to go back with how she felt about him now she was certain that night would have turned out very differently.

It was no secret, there was something about him that had her enchanted, and enticed. Every moment with him left her craving more, even though she had been so afraid of going anywhere in the first place. She had made a complete one-eighty on the idea, and now had many thoughts on how she could achieve such things with him.

Such... horrible things...

The pinkette smirked as she put on her civilian clothes for the day. Perhaps if he showed up sooner they could go for a walk... a very, very, very long walk.

'Damnit, get your head out of the gutter!' She scolded herself, yet that stupid grin couldn't help but spread across her face.

Sakura made her way down to his room, but when he wasn't there she sighed finding herself easily bored even though his bedroom was her own personal haven. With a curious spirit she made her way through the stone 'mansion'. It was huge like a mansion, maybe even a palace, but Suna was a strange place where people lived in the sides of canyons and their style reflected that. It was essentially just a sandstone palace, but it was certainly exotic in comparison to Konoha.

The pinkette missed her home terribly, even though Suna had technically been her home for years now. She wondered if Naruto, Kakashi, and Sasuke were still alive-

"Sasuke..." She murmured as she looked out at a sandy courtyard. Once upon a time he was the only boy on her mind, and even pledged her eternal love to him...

But after that day, the day that they had left her behind, she had grown bitter. They didn't think to grab her unconscious body. They left her there.

No secret letters, no contact, no rescue missions... nothing. Perhaps it was better that she leave people like that behind. People who did not truly love her.

Just then Sakura heard something, it sounded almost like fighting. Her free spirit led her to the sounds, and when she wandered outside the courtyard she found two ninja sparring-

'Gaara?!...and Kankuro?' She watched with intrigue from around the wall as they seemed to jump around a great deal. Kicks, punches, dodge rolls, leg sweeps, jumps, back bends, and roundhouses. She was completely captivated by how they both moved especially in the gear they were wearing. Their clothes always seemed so baggy so she wondered just how agile they were in hand to hand, but it seemed that they held their own well enough.

Suddenly Kankuro got a hit rather close to Gaara's face, and a hiss of sand whooshed to his aid. The fight stopped abruptly, and the redhead cursed while punching at his own ultimate defense. Kankuro laughed heartily at him before he seemed to notice something. He didn't turn her way, but she wasn't completely sure what he had leaned in to tell Gaara about. The redhead nodded in agreement to something, and disappeared in a cloud of sand.

"Aw... no fun. I wanted to see him fight." She whispered to herself, but then heard fabric move behind her. She wasn't quick enough to stop the person from snatching her up by her waist, but she knew the smell of him intimately as well as the feeling of his body against her back.

"You snuck out, I see." Gaara hummed into her ear, and the tone tickled her. With a giggle she tilted her head back to see him smirking at her. "How very mischievous of you-"

"Hnnn, I was lonely. No mischief here." Sakura purred before turning in his arms so she could place hers around his neck. "Although, I did enjoy your sparring session. I didn't think you could move like that."

"I'm full of surprises." The redhead gave a half smile that had her almost melting.

"Yes, so you've shown me a few times now." The pinkette let one hand come down to trail across his chest. "You have many tricks too... I was wondering if you could show me one soon?"

Gaara blinked at that, a bit shocked by her sudden boldness, but his shock quickly turned wicked.

"You want to see a trick?" The redhead gave a devilish smirk, and it had her tingling all over with excitement.

"Hmm. See, feel, same difference right?" Sakura snickered for a moment, but then gasped as he pressed her up against the wall with a force that he had hidden from her. Before she could even comprehend what was happening his mouth was on hers, giving her a dizzying kiss.

The pinkette hummed, her fingers scratching at his shoulders while her tongue danced with his own. He was pressing himself against her so firmly she felt as if he was crushing her, and yet the pressure was still so exciting despite the slight discomfort. His hands began to roam, and one had the gall to sneak up her red dress-

"Mmm!- Gaara! No! Bad!" Sakura broke out of his enchanting kiss to scold him for being naughty. It wasn't like they were hidden away anywhere, rather they were outside in broad daylight. He only seemed to give a sly grin in response, which had her worried that he might get a bit too daring.

"Too much? Or is it that you don't want to be seen?" Gaara's charcoal lined eyes narrowed knowingly before his hand gave a firm squeeze to her bottom. "It's not unheard of for Suna citizens to show affection in public. Sometimes they can be rather graphic in their displays-"

"I am not fucking you outside." The pinkette narrowed her eyes back at him with a withered expression. To her surprise he managed a small flush despite his dominant demeanor.

"I didn't say they go that far..." The redhead looked off to the side, his bravado quickly fading under a wash of anxiousness. "Is that... why you came here?"

She could see that shy boy peeking through him again, and for some reason it had her burning hotter than his more vicious side. However, she knew that she had to treat this very delicately as it had now become a touchy subject.

"Well, I was hoping you'd still be in bed when I woke up this morning. I really just wanted to cuddle-"

"O-oh... I see..." Gaara shivered for a moment before biting his lip. "I'm... I'm sorry I was not there when you woke up. I know you don't like being in that room alone."

'Ugh, stop acting so damn cute!' She shouted inwardly, but also secretly loved this side of him.

"That room is meant to have at least two people occupying it. Don't you think?" Sakura played with the buttons on his maroon coat near his neck, and got the pleasure of watching him swallow hard.

"You said you didn't like being in there because it makes you feel like a... whore..." The redhead's face scrunched up at the word, but the way he said it washed over her almost erotically.

"Well, I'm sorry if this hurts the image you painted of me... but I don't mind playing that part for you once in a while. Is that okay?" The pinkette ran her fingers through his crimson locks as his eyes widened at her declaration. His lips parted for just the barest of moments before a pink tongue darted out to wet them quickly. With a shaking exhale he closed his eyes, and gave a fast but gentle nod. "I'm so glad you approve, I was worried that you might grow tired of me-"

"Never! I constantly think of you-!" Gaara blurted out rather sternly before his cheeks burned. With an embarrassed groan he leaned his head on her shoulder, gaining a hysterical giggle from her. "Sorry... I'm not trying to be weird..."

"No, its adorable. I like your enthusiasm." Sakura swayed with him lovingly, and felt completely comfortable in his arms.

What was happening to her? How could she be so fond of someone she was certain she had hated? She almost wished she could go back and yell at her twelve year old self for hating another child.

He was a child still when the Konoha Crush started... he was so much shorter, and although frightening his face was so youthful. She couldn't even imagine how hurt he must have felt for his entire life.

"Sakura?" The redhead brought his hand to her chin to raise up her gaze. Her sight locked onto his haunting eyes, they were so beautiful and yet intimidating all the same.

No, not intimidating... not anymore. Now they were sad, and wondering about the world around them. Searching for something to ease the pain.

Her heart was pounding violently in her chest. What was this? It felt so familiar yet it also felt like she had never experienced it before. Her chest felt like it was being squeezed painfully, yet it was intoxicating. She wanted to live, and she wanted to die at the same time.

"I'm so sorry..." The pinkette trembled, her palms reaching up to his cheeks to cup his face in her hands. He looked truly terrified. "I hated you once, and I'm sorry I did not take the time to see who you truly were. You're such a beautiful person-"

She couldn't grant him a full speech as he almost instantly gave a choking exhale that broke her heart. His eyes squinted shut with an emotion that he was forcing back, but she could see the shining evidence in the clenched corners of his closed eyes.

"Don't just... suddenly say things like that. I'm not prepared for it." Gaara gave a shaking laugh, but it was obvious that he felt a relapse of pain in that moment. "I'm sorry too, for being a complete ass of a child-"

"Eh?! You weren't an ass! You sure were broody though." Sakura snickered in an attempt to lighten the mood. She knew she had ruined the moment they were having, so it was her job to make it up to him. "I didn't like your attitude back then, but now when I see it I feel a little differently."

"How so?" The redhead sniffled slightly, giving her a telling sign that he was almost on the verge of tears for a moment. She really shouldn't make her boyfriend cry in public-

'Boyfriend?...' She inwardly shocked herself with that strange status she had just put on him. They weren't dating or anything... or were they? Were they even courting?

"Sakura?" He pressed for her to speak, and she gave a laugh.

"Oh, well, the brooding thing... I don't really know how to explain it. You just have that 'bad boy' vibe, but you're actually a sweetheart underneath." Sakura giggled, but his eyes started to narrow.

"I did a lot more than just 'brood'. I murdered a lot of people... I still do, unfortunately." Gaara's mood seemed to change then, it darkened.

'Wow, I really suck at cheering up boys.' The pinkette felt herself deflate, but tried to stay strong.

"Do you want to change that? You can, you know-?"

"No. I can't change it. It will always happen, no matter what I say. The full moon is the worst for me... he craves blood." She watched as the redhead started to whirl into a tailspin, and she inwardly berated herself for it.

'STOP MAKING HIM UPSET, MY GOD!'

"Spend the full moon with me then." Sakura tried grinning, but he eyed her with a nervous expression.

"I could kill you-"

"You won't. You can take out your frustrations in other ways, Gaara. You know you have that option now that you have a girlfriend, right?"

There was that word again, that label that she not only put on him but now herself as well. His brows raised curiously at it too, blinking at her owlishly like she were the most interesting thing on earth.

"Girlfriend?" It slipped sweetly from his lips, but his confusion had her inwardly cringing.

"Yeah... um... sorry, you don't have to call me that if you don't want to-"

"Ah! No! I like it... truly." A genuinely sweet smile formed on his lips, and it had to be the purest thing she had ever seen in her whole life. He held her a bit closer, and leaned in to kiss her with a gentleness that she wasn't used to.

However, she felt she could get used to it rather quickly.

\- ... - ...

He couldn't stop watching her, he couldn't believe this was real.

Gaara breathed carefully so he wouldn't disturb the ethereal woman draped across his chest. Her cheek rested against his heart, and her arm held him sweetly in her sleep. Sakura seemed so peaceful-

 _'I'd like to disturb that peace.'  
_  
The redhead cringed at the grating voice. For some reason Shukaku always sounded like he was screaming.

'You can't have her-' Gaara began, but was quickly interrupted by a sharp headache.

 _'Then you can't have her either.'_ The tanuki snapped, forcing out his emotions through the redhead's body. The host wished that he had more control over the beast, but it seemed that they would forever be battling it out inside him. _'She made her terms, she wants to mate with us.'  
_  
Gaara winced in disgust over the idea of sharing her with the bijuu.

'We're not doing it. I wont let you hurt her.'

 _'What makes you think that I want to hurt her?! Fucking someone is not hurting them-!'_

'You'll be too rough on her. She is fragile, and delicate-'

A loud sinister laugh rang through his brain, it was so real that he could feel the reverb in his sinuses.

 _'Ha! You are an idiot if you think she's that breakable. When in the throws of passion she'll beg you to go harder, and you wont live up to her expectations.'_ Shukaku continued to laugh heartily, forcing the redhead to wither in irritation. _'And when you fail to satisfy her I will be there to set it right. She'll desire my pleasurable company more than yours-'  
_  
'You wont get that chance.' Gaara argued back, but then felt strange as the beast grew strangely still.

 _'She wants it. The only thing stopping us is your stubborn ass. So I suppose a bit of convincing will needed...'_ At first it seemed like Shukaku had decided to bow out for the time being, and as the redhead gave a sigh of relief he felt something pulse through him.

He knew the emotion, and he knew why the beast had decided to push that feeling upon him. Desire could drive a man mad.

Luckily for Gaara, he was no stranger to madness.

Sakura hummed, and rolled away from him in her sleep. His eyes wandered her bare shoulders, and the outline of her perfect figure under the thin sheets. Her pink hair was tousled from events prior as well as bed rest, making her look rough yet soft at the same time.

 _'Doesn't she look delicious? '_ Shukaku purred gently, attempting to coax his host into making a large leap. _'You've done well up until this point, you've left her wanting-'  
_  
"Hnnn... Gaara..." The pinkette murmured in her sleep, her brows stitching together could be interpreted many ways. She could be having a nightmare, or it could be something much sweeter.

The redhead leaned over her to brush her hair out of her face. She hummed at the sensation, drawing his attention to her pouting lips. Absentmindedly, he ran his thumb softly along her bottom lip. The action had her parting her flushed petals, lightly mouthing over the digit while lazily licking at the pad.

 _'See? Even in her dreams she's begging for it. Hurry up, and let me fuck her-'_

'How about you go fuck yourself, Shukaku?' Gaara had to hold back a snarl, and while he waited for the beast to attack his mind he found that the bijuu seemed to not be in the mood to fight.

 _'Fine, but you will regret this.'_

That threat felt very real, and it was also suspicious that the tanuki didn't act out aggressively. The redhead knew he would have to be on his guard.

He decided to slip away for the time being, and perhaps work out his frustrations on the training grounds.

... - ... -

When Gaara had made his way across the grounds he had discovered that his brother was already there working on his taijutsu. It was fortuitous for the redhead, as it was exactly what the doctor ordered.

They had fought, and Gaara had managed to move his body faster than his sand could keep up. It took a lot of work to get to that point, but he felt accomplished as he repeatedly beat out his own ultimate defense.

However, cockiness did not suit him well. A hit came too close too quickly, and he found himself slow to react. As the sand covered for him he outwardly cursed, throwing a punch at the hardened grains with bitterness.

"Heh! You gotta stay focused, Gaara!" Kankuro began to laugh loudly over the ordeal, however it was probably due to the small tantrum that the redhead was throwing.

Suddenly his laughing stopped, and a sly smile appeared on his painted face.

"Don't look now, but you got a little stalker round that corner over there." The puppet master gestured with his eyes, but his smile only grew bigger. "She's trying to be sneaky, you should give her a taste of her own medicine."

Gaara blinked for a moment before truly ingesting what he was saying. He felt out with the chakra in his sand, and pinpointed her location.

"Sorry, I guess we'll have to continue this another day." The redhead chuckled for a moment, but his brother seemed unbothered by it.

"Hey man, I get it. When your lady calls you gotta answer, and let me tell you that when your woman is asking for your company consider it a fucking gift." Kankuro let out another laugh before giving a slight wave.

The redhead nodded before using his sand to pull a rather sneaky prank. He dissipated into a cloud of sand then materialized behind her, watching with humor as she anxiously peered around the corner.

"Aw... no fun. I wanted to see him fight." Sakura whispered, but then stiffened as he took his first silent steps. He realized that his duster was rubbing against his pants, making a swishing noise that gave him away. He decided to make it fast, and snatched her from behind to pull her close. She squeaked at first, but quickly warmed to him.

"You snuck out, I see." Gaara hummed into her ear, and witnessed her tremble while giggling lowly. She tilted her head back wearing the smile of a troublemaker, for some odd reason her behavior was making him warm. "How very mischievous of you-"

"Hnnn, I was lonely. No mischief here." Sakura purred before turning to place her arms around his neck. Her body felt so slender in his hands, and yet her curves were obvious too. "Although, I did enjoy your sparring session. I didn't think you could move like that."

'She was studying me... how interesting...'

"I'm full of surprises." The redhead gave a half smile, and it seemed to make her bite her lip excitedly.

"Yes, so you've shown me a few times now." The pinkette let one hand come down to trail across his chest. "You have many tricks too... I was wondering if you could show me one soon?"

'She wants to see a trick? The only tricks I know unfortunately use sand-oh. Haha, okay. I get it. A trick. Well, I'm not an old dog just yet.' He mused to himself for a moment before staring her down.

"You want to see a trick?" The redhead gave a devilish smirk, and was pleased to see her shiver with anticipation.

"Hmm. See, feel, same difference right?" Sakura snickered for a moment, but he surprised her by forcing her up against the wall. His lips found hers in a matter of seconds with the intent to steal the breath from her lungs.

She was whimpering, scratching, and shifting against him sensually. It took a great amount of willpower to keep himself from crushing her with his insatiable appetite. However, her eager tongue sliding against his own had him moving subconsciously. He felt her soft skin on her thigh first before bravely sliding his hand up her skirt.

"Mmm!- Gaara! No! Bad!" Sakura broke out of his enchanting kiss to scold him, but it only fueled his flames.

"Too much? Or is it that you don't want to be seen?" Gaara's charcoal lined eyes narrowed knowingly before his hand gave a firm squeeze to her bottom. Her small squeak had him smirking. "It's not unheard of for Suna citizens to show affection in public. Sometimes they can be rather graphic in their displays-"

"I am not fucking you outside." The pinkette narrowed her eyes back at him with a withered expression, leaving him flustered and dumbfounded.

'Was she... actually thinking about it? And she said she wouldn't do it 'outside' so does that mean she would not mind it behind closed doors?' His head was thrown for a loop for a moment before he shook himself out of it.

"I didn't say they go that far..." He looked off to the side, his bravado quickly fading under a wash of anxiousness. He didn't know if he could handle her answer, be it 'no' or even 'yes'. "Is that... why you came here?"

He heard a snickering within him, forcing him to realize that this situation was beginning to turn south.

She shifted on her feet with a coy expression, looking him up and down with an interest he wasn't used to.

"Well, I was hoping you'd still be in bed when I woke up this morning. I really just wanted to cuddle-"

The laughter grew.

"O-oh... I see..." Gaara shivered for a moment before biting his lip. "I'm... I'm sorry I was not there when you woke up. I know you don't like being in that room alone."

 _'Gaara~'_ Shukaku called from the depths, making him bristle.

"That room is meant to have at least two people occupying it. Don't you think?" Sakura played with the buttons on his maroon coat near his neck, forcing him to swallow hard at her closeness.

It was becoming dangerous, he had to turn her off to him for the time being.

"You said you didn't like being in there because it makes you feel like a... whore..." The redhead didn't want to use that word, but he knew of its negativity, and felt it would be enough to get her to put space between them-

"Well, I'm sorry if this hurts the image you painted of me... but I don't mind playing that part for you once in a while. Is that okay?"

Gaara almost gaped at her, but somehow managed to keep his mouth closed despite the shocking content.

Suddenly the redhead could feel her hands in his hair, forcing him into a physical space he knew he would have difficulty returning from. Bellowing maniacal laughter erupted inside of him, Shukaku was acting as if this were the most hysterical turn of events imaginable.

 _'I TOLD YOU! YOU NEVER LISTEN TO ME! Look at that face! She wants it so bad, you should take her back to your room-'_

Gaara tried to collect himself with a deep breath, but he ended up nodding in agreement to what the beast was telling him. However, a slight giggle quickly brought him back to her.

"I'm so glad you approve, I was worried that you might grow tired of me." She swayed seductively on her feet, and his brain began to feel fuzzy yet also frantic.

"Never! I constantly think of you-!" Gaara blurted out rather sternly before his cheeks burned. With an embarrassed groan he leaned his head on her shoulder, gaining a hysterical giggle from her. "Sorry... I'm not trying to be weird..."

 _'Don't worry, kid. If she didn't want a freak then she wouldn't be interested in you. Own it.'_ While the bijuu's words were meant to be endearing, Gaara couldn't help but find it to be a backhanded compliment.

"No, its adorable. I like your enthusiasm." Sakura swayed with him lovingly, obviously trusting him a bit too much.

Didn't she realize just how much he was holding back? With Shukaku pushing extra sensations on top of his already ridiculous lust for her, he felt as if he were going a bit crazed. He didn't want to revert back to what he was before he met her.

She was staring off, why?

"Sakura?" The redhead brought his hand to her chin to raise up her gaze. Her sight locked onto his, and looked lost as well as a bit mournful.

"I'm so sorry..." The pinkette trembled, and took his face into her hands. He felt his chest tighten with the thought of impending doom. "I hated you once, and I'm sorry I did not take the time to see who you truly were. You're such a beautiful person-"

He remained unblinking, and for the first time in years he felt enough pain in his chest that it started to form in his eyes. However, the pain was bittersweet. He felt healed by her words, while also remembering the hurt he felt during the awful memories.

Shukaku said absolutely nothing, but the redhead could feel him watching the whole scene unfold.

"Don't just... suddenly say things like that. I'm not prepared for it." Gaara gave a shaking laugh, still working out the emotions wracking his body. "I'm sorry too, for being a complete ass of a child-"

"Eh?! You weren't an ass! You sure were broody though." Sakura snickered, leaving him interested. "I didn't like your attitude back then, but now when I see it I feel a little differently."

"How so?" He accidentally sniffled for a moment, and inwardly cringed. When she didn't answer right away he felt he might have screwed up. "Sakura?"

"Oh, well, the brooding thing... I don't really know how to explain it. You just have that 'bad boy' vibe, but you're actually a sweetheart underneath." Sakura giggled, but the terms 'brooding' and 'bad boy' had him a bit suspicious.

 _'Like I said, she's not wanting you to be gentle with her. She wants it hard-'_

'Shut the hell up! No one asked you!' The redhead inwardly yelled at his monstrous counterpart, but all it did was make the tanuki chuckle.

He chose to ignore him.

"I did a lot more than just 'brood'. I murdered a lot of people... I still do, unfortunately." Gaara thought of all of the leaf ninja he had been putting down, and instantly felt the weight of their deaths on his conscience.

'She will never forgive me when I tell her how many I have killed-'

 _'Then don't tell her. It's better if she doesn't know.'_

"Do you want to change that? You can, you know?" Sakura smiled for him, and he felt the guilt seep even further.

"No. I can't change it. It will always happen, no matter what I say. The full moon is the worst for me... he craves blood." Gaara scowled, and the bijuu practically giggled at the attention.

"Spend the full moon with me then."

His eyes found hers in disbelief, yet her resolve stayed strong.

 _'Ah-ha... she's curious... Gaara, you should grant her wish-!'_

"I could kill you." The redhead ignored Shukaku, his only concern was for her welfare.

"You won't. You can take out your frustrations in other ways, Gaara. You know you have that option now that you have a girlfriend, right?"

'Girlfriend-?' Gaara was completely dumbfounded once more, his only action was to blink and breathe.

 _'-As in the term for courtship. She's accepting you as her mate. Humans call it dating, boyfriend and girlfriend. However, it is a monogamous courtship. It's best if you don't chase other females while invested with this one-'_

'I wasn't planning on it!' The redhead seethed inwardly, getting a laugh for his trouble.

 _'Spoken like a true tanuki. We mate for life.'_

While Gaara was usually pissed off at the bijuu, he found the beast to not be so awful in view of actual lasting relationships. It seemed that he did not actually want to hurt Sakura, but his crassness was still off-putting.

'Mating for life... with my... girlfriend.' The redhead blushed for a moment before meeting her eyes. They seemed happy...

"Girlfriend-?"

"Yeah... um... sorry, you don't have to call me that if you dont want to-" She seemed embarrassed, and he didn't want that at all. He truly enjoyed the idea of it.

"Ah! No! I like it... truly." As he smiled at her she returned it twofold. Her brightness drew him in instantly, and he couldn't keep himself from kissing her gently.

He placed every ounce of affection into it, and she melted almost instantly.

' _So. What's the verdict? Are we doing this? '_ Shukaku ruined the moment for him, but he continued kissing her regardless.

'I refuse. You can't have her. She's mine.' Gaara knew that an inner fight was about to break out, but when a dark chuckle rattled through his skull he felt himself grow a bit nervous. It was rare for the tanuki to not be screeching.

 _'Stupid boy. It's funny that you think you have a choice.'_

\- ... - ... - ... -

He was sweating, which was a rare occurrence as he rarely overexerted himself, but he knew it had nothing to do with working too hard.

The shinobi in front of him was sweating too, but it was because the redhead had just gotten done torturing him. The man looked a little familiar, but not enough for Gaara to know his name.

"Heh... are you... getting sick... or something?" The tan-skinned man coughed up some blood, and a metallic smell filled the room leaving the redhead dizzy. "You're... sweating..."

"It's been a rough day." Gaara answered him honestly before grabbing a chair. He sat down in front of the shinobi, he seemed to have kind eyes.

The redhead looked over his handiwork, noting that the man was defenseless as he was tied up to his own respective chair. He wasn't mangled, but he would be sore and/or sick later.

"What's your name?" Gaara asked gently, he did this frequently now as he wanted to know if Sakura knew these people. However the man managed to laugh despite the conditions.

"Why do... you need to... know?" The shinobi wheezed slightly, showing his fatigue after every word.

"There's a girl from your village that I am involved with. I like to know your names in case she is acquainted with any of you. If she does know you it could save your life-"

"What's... her name?" The tan-skinned man seemed serious then, almost worried, but Gaara would not play into his demands until his own were met.

"You first." The redhead crossed his legs, and leaned back in his chair while he waited. Surprisingly it didn't take long to get an answer.

"Iruka. My name... is Iruka..." The shinobi shivered, as if it were a name he was not proud of. Perhaps he was just reading too much into it. "The girl... please... I need a name-"

"Sakura Haruno." Gaara answered instantly, watching curiously as the man went pale.

"S-Sakura... where is she?!" His ghostly face began to change then, he started to turn red with rage. "IF YOU... HURT HER-!"

"I would never hurt her. I assure you, she is safest in my care. No one will touch her." The redhead blinked for a moment, realizing that this man seemed to be close to Sakura. "How do you know her?"

"I taught at the academy... she was my student... the brightest one..." Iruka's breath heaved then, and tears started to fall from his eyes. "Please, spare her... You can take... what you want from me... just please..."

"Like I said, no harm will ever come to her. Not while I still breathe." Gaara had never been one to reassure people, but for some reason he wanted this man to feel better.

It was because Sakura knew him, and was probably fond of this person. He was kind for a shinobi, and not made for war it seemed.

"Why protect her... why you of all people?" Iruka panted with exhaustion, his eyes were beginning to droop as well.

The old Gaara would have been offended by such a question, but he understood it now. The redhead was known for being a heartless killing machine, he was created for that purpose. However, he wanted to change that. He wanted to break free from the cage this village had placed him in.

Gaara uncrossed his legs, and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He took calming breaths as the former teacher watched him through weary eyes.

"I am in love with her." The redhead admitted it out loud, and to a stranger no less. The man before him seemed to stare in wonder at him now, as if it were the most peculiar thing to happen.

"Yet... you murder... her people-" Iruka spoke softly, but Gaara felt that the older shinobi should know better in such times.

"War is funny that way, don't you think?" The redhead then felt scrutiny from the former teacher, and looked to the floor dejectedly.

"I don't... think it's funny... at all." Iruka huffed then, gaining back a bit of spunk.

Gaara liked this man. For some reason he seemed very much like a kind father, or older brother. He wanted to help him if he could.

At that thought, he rose up from his seat to cross the room. On a small table was a bucket of water with a ladle, and the redhead took both in hand to bring back over to his captive. The leaf shinobi frowned in confusion, but did not reject the water from the ladle as Gaara brought it to his lips.

He drank the liquid greedily, and the redhead let him drink until he was completely satisfied. It seemed to bring more life into the Iruka's face, which made Gaara feel a bit better about the situation.

"Thank you. I can see why she likes you... you're actually just misunderstood." The leaf shinobi's voice was clearer now, and he seemed more relaxed.

However, he was wrong in assuming that the redhead was some sort of sheep in wolf's clothing.

"Everyone is right to be afraid of me, I was not merciful until I met her-"

"That may be so, but the fact remains that you had that ability to love inside you all this time." Iruka said it boldly, as if he had so much experience on the matter. "There's a boy I care about, he reminds me of you. He's a jinchuriki too."

Gaara paled, it was unheard of for people outside of his close circle to openly talk of the beasts, and the shinobi did not fail to notice his discomfort.

"I will not judge you for being a jinchuriki, you did not choose to be one just as the tailed beasts did not choose to have human hosts. It's merely poor luck on both sides." Iruka took a breath before continuing, still fatigued from the tortures he had recieved.

"However, I will judge you for your crimes. Those are things you could have prevented. It is okay to feel, and it is okay to be hurt, but it's how you react to such things that make you what you are."

 _'Heh, he's quite wise for being so young. He doesn't look to be past thirty...'_ Shukaku murmured inside of the redhead, and his host had to agree with him.

"It's never too late to atone for your sins-"

"Sounds like you're trying to convince me to let you go." Gaara smirked, and surprisingly recieved it back.

"It's the end for me. I won't last much longer in this cell, and I've already made my peace... but if I can save her then my death will have at least a little bit of meaning." The former teacher let out a long breath, it seemed his energy had run out. "She deserves to be happy..."

"She is happy. I make sure of that." The redhead stated it a bit to cockily for the other man's tastes, gaining a withered look for the comment.

"Are you sure about that? Is she truly happy here? She deserves to be free-"

"She is free-"

"So she can go be with her people whenever she pleases? Because I'm sure that's not the case." Iruka was quick to bite down on any answer Gaara gave, however the redhead couldn't necessarily say he was wrong either.

'I kept her prisoner at first... does she think she can't leave? Does she stay because she wants to, or is it because she feels she has to?' Gaara inwardly raked through his thoughts, trying to cling to things that he wasn't sure were real feelings or not.

"If she were to tell you that she loved someone else, would you let her go?" The leaf shinobi murmured, but it still felt as if the comment was meant to be screamed. Or at least it felt that way inside the redhead's rattled mind.

 _'Don't let him fool you, that girl is infatuated with you-'_ Shukaku tried to console his host, which was very off-putting.

'I have to see her...' Gaara started to feel neurotic, he had to know if she was truly his or not. If not, could he let her go? Or would he break everything first? 'I don't want to lose her-'

 _'Then make her yours. Go and claim her like a true mate.'  
_  
"I have to go." The redhead spoke outwardly this time, obviously distraught in how he thought and moved. He turned tail for the door.

"You should ask her what she wants." Iruka called out gently, but Gaara refused to acknowledge him as he left.

\- … -

Gaara made his way to the library trailing her scent alone. For some reason every part of him felt heightened, all the way down to his tracking senses. As he approached the door a ruckus could be heard inside. The door was cracked open, so he slipped in silently to check out the disturbance.

Kankuro and Sakura were on the floor... She was laying on top of him...

Suddenly he was seeing white, his heart felt like it was going to implode in his tightening chest-

The pinkette scrambled away from his brother with a look of fear, and he wondered if they noticed his presence.

"I didn't mean to freak you out, sorry about that-" Kankuro began, but she quickly shook her head at him. However, the puppeteer seemed to notice the strange aura in the room, and looked at the redhead in a state of ghostly fear.

"No, it's fine. It's just that Gaara would probably kill you if he saw me laying on top of you." Sakura laughed until she noticed that Kankuro was not looking at her.

For some reason Gaara couldn't control it any longer, the sand from his gourd was pouring onto the floor to spread out in sandy veins. She turned just in time to see his rage flourish.

 _'Kill him. He's trying to steal your mate-'_ Shukaku practically purred, and the redhead let his jealousy overwhelm him as well.

"You are correct, Sakura. I would most definitely kill him." Gaara was shaking, and his breath felt hot as it left his nostrils. "I hope for both your sakes that what you said isn't true-"

"I fell on him. He was teasing me so I went to hit him, then he backed up and tripped. I unfortunately went down with him, there was nothing more than that. Put your sand away." The pinkette was stern, and absolutely fearless in the face of Gaara's wrath while his own brother was sitting there looking as if he'd seen a ghost.

 _'She's taking this too lightly, assert your dominance.'_ The tanuki barked, and the redhead listened.

"Gaara-"

"I'm not in the mood to put my sand away." Gaara bared his teeth at her, but he felt odd when she didn't seem to back down.

"She's telling the truth, Gaara. I was trying to get gossip on what you guys do together and she didn't like it. It was my bad-" Kankuro argued, but quickly shut his mouth when two burning coals turned on him.

"So you started it? You already have your own harem going, so stay away from my mate!" Gaara hissed, and his sand twitched at the ready to attack.

Sakura got to her feet with a glare, closing the distance fast to pull on his arm. He stared at her curiously as she yank him forward into a painful kiss.

 _'Well... that was interesting...'_

'Shut up!' The redhead hissed inwardly before feeling a bit lost as her lips left him. She seemed furious.

"If you think I'd cheat on you, let alone with your brother, or that he'd ruin his relationship with you just to sleep with me than you are a fucking moron." The pinkette snarled.

'A... fucking... moron?' As he digested her words she attempted to dramatically turn tail to leave, and without thinking to hard he locked her ankles in sand to keep her from moving. She looked back at him in disbelief, but he felt smug in the fact that he would always be stronger than her.

"Would you leave us? I need to speak with her alone." Gaara looked back to his brother with a tight expression, and luckily Kankuro knew that face well enough to get the hell out of there.

As the doors clicked shut the redhead's sights turned back on her, and he approached her with power in each step.

At first Gaara had wanted to see how she felt about him, but now he was too blind to even do that.

No, he was going to show her that he was the alpha. He was going to give her what she had so teasingly asked for.

Sakura was going to take what he gave her, and she was going to love every second of it. 


	10. Chapter 10

"Hey there!" Kankuro hollered over to Sakura from the other side of the library. She looked away from shelf to find him waltzing in with his usual cocky swagger, and it was exaggerated enough to make her laugh.

The sun was currently setting through the tall stained windows putting the area in a state of magical twilight. The pinkette loved the large library, it was the most beautiful place in the whole sandstone manor.

However, the mood was quickly ruined. She thought that she had been the only one in this wing, but she was quickly reminded that she and Gaara were not the only ones who lived here.

The redhead unfortunately had a small mission that he had to do, which was totally fine, at least she had free reign of the space now, and he should be done soon.

"Hi, Kankuro. How are you?" She smiled sweetly for the puppeteer, and he returned the smile twofold.

"I'm great, and it looks like my baby brother ain't doing too bad either-"

"Is that so?" Sakura turned to ignore his curious stare in favor of focusing on her book, obviously he was digging for some sort of gossip.

"Saw you two making out. Rather heatedly I'd say." Kankuro waggled his brows at her, and she scoffed in return.

"Oops, you caught us. Oh nooo." The pinkette said sarcastically before breaking out into a laugh. "What of it?"

"I'm just surprised is all! Gaara has been making all sort of positive changes, it's really nice. He actually acts like a brother now." The puppeteer grinned ear to ear, and while it made her happy it also made her feel a bit embarrassed over the strange attention. "So, you guys going steady-?"

"Eh!? We only just- no, we are not going steady. We just like each other." Sakura huffed before putting back a medical book that she had been reading.

"He's totally in love with you. You do realize that, right?" Kankuro was trying to be sly, but was obvious about the fact that he wanted more details. She raised a brow at him before sighing.

"That's sweet of you to say, but he had told me quite forwardly that he did not love me. That it wasn't like that-"

"Was that before you guys fooled around, or after?" He interjected, and she distractedly answered.

"After, but- wait a damn minute! How dare you!" The pinkette seethed, and started to smack at the puppeteer who was now cackling as he blocked her blows.

"I knew it! I knew it!" The more he rubbed it in the harder she punched. Suddenly he snatched up both of her wrists, and held them perfectly still. "Gaara was totally in denial before, but I can fucking see it! He realizes that he loves you, and that's why he's acting so funny!"

"I don't care! Stop messing around with other people's relationships!" Sakura barked, growing more nervous as his smile turned sinister.

"Relationship? Oooo!" Kankuro teased, and in her full blown irritation she decided to lunge off of her feet to push him in the sternum with her shoulder. They wrestled for a moment, but then they both tripped over a heavy stack of books that she had made on the floor before he showed up. Somehow he flipped them so that he would take the brunt of the fall.

The pinkette could feel the puppeteer breathing hard underneath her, and in a panic she immediately scrambled off and away from him. He looked over at her in confusion, his head tilting at her strange behavior.

"I didn't mean to freak you out, sorry about that-" He began, but she quickly shook her head.

"No, it's fine. It's just that Gaara would probably kill you if he saw me laying on top of you." Sakura laughed, but his face grew a bit pale. She was about to console him when she noticed that he had been looking right past her.

There was a dead silence there, until she heard the shifting of grains against the floor.

"You are correct, Sakura. I would most definitely kill him." His tone was so incredibly malicious that she could practically hear the fire coming out of his nostrils. "I hope for both your sakes that what you said isn't true-"

"I fell on him. He was teasing me so I went to hit him, then he backed up and tripped. I unfortunately went down with him, there was nothing more than that. Put your sand away." The pinkette was stern, and absolutely fearless in the face of Gaara's wrath while his own brother was sitting there looking as if he'd seen a ghost.

When the sand continued to wave around like snakes on the floor her eyes narrowed at him.

"Gaara-"

"I'm not in the mood to put my sand away." The redhead growled, his jealousy was definitely a weak point for him.

"She's telling the truth, Gaara. I was trying to get gossip on what you guys do together and she didn't like it. It was my bad-" Kankuro argued, but quickly shut his mouth when two burning coals turned on him.

"So you started it? You already have your own harem going, so stay away from my mate!" Gaara hissed, and it was pissing off Sakura to the point that she quickly got to her feet. He stared at her with hints of confusion while her hand reached out to yank him by the arm. She pulled him forward almost violently into a painful kiss.

The room was silent, the sand went completely still as she took his breath away. When she broke away from him with a glare his expression grew even more confused.

"If you think I'd cheat on you, let alone with your brother, or that he'd ruin his relationship with you just to sleep with me than you are a fucking moron." The pinkette snarled at him before she began to storm off, however her ankles soon got caught up in his sand. She looked back at the redhead incredulously, and he simply looked over to his brother with an apathetic expression.

"Would you leave us? I need to speak with her alone." The redhead's voice was tight, as if he were holding back a great deal of rage . The puppet master nodded quickly, obviously believing that he would not kill her, and hurriedly left the library.

As the doors clicked shut his sights turned back on her, and he approached her with his fully intimidating gate.

"I'm a fucking moron now? That's such an endearing pet name-!" Gaara snapped at her, and while she was getting anxious over it she still kept her demeanor strong.

"Yes, and you're still living up to it quite nicely right now." She remained calm and cool while his rage overflowed. He closed the distance, standing merely inches away.

"You had better watch what you say to me-" The redhead began to threaten, but her temper flared.

"Mm, no. Don't think so. I'm not a normally submissive woman, Gaara. You know this. I'm not just going to roll over, and take it!" As he came closer Sakura ended up snatching him up by his maroon collar. His eyes watched her with the carefulness of a predator. "You need to back off-!"

"And you need to roll over... and take it..." While Gaara had merely repeated what she had said before, his eyes had changed rather quickly from rage to something a bit more curious. His tone had also grown from angered to husky in a matter of seconds as well. "I can't take it anymore-!"

Sakura jumped a bit at his sudden outburst, and even more as his lips crashed into hers.

Suddenly the redhead was pawing at her desperately, and the sand holding her feet slithered away as he pushed her back against a large desk. There was a break in the bruising kiss, but the second she had to breathe was the same second that he had to lift her up.

"H-hey! Wait a second-!" She screeched, feeling his larger hands grip under her backside.

"No, I can't." Gaara shook his head quickly before setting her down on the desk's surface. It was another short moment before he started desperately tugging at the black shorts under her dress.

"Gaara, wait!" The pinkette squeaked, feeling the pressure was suddenly on her way too fast. When he had successfully pulled the shorts as well as her underwear away she quickly tried to cover herself with the bottom of her dress. How he was so skilled in taking off her clothes was a mystery, or perhaps just a natural talent.

"I told you, I can't-no, I _wont_ take this anymore! You can have whatever you want just-!" The redhead took a sharp breath, and attempted to compose himself.

His body was trembling with an emotion she knew was foreign to him. He had obviously lusted after her before, but this seemed almost like madness. However, she knew it wasn't completely unheard of for men to go through fits like these. She had just never experienced it first hand.

Shaking his head wildly again he pulled her flush against him, and she felt the hardness in his pants grinding against her naked heat. It shocked her over how aroused he was without any sort of foreplay to urge it on. He moved so firmly against her that he was giving soft grunts of pleasure rather than straight moans, running on the machine called instinct.

She shouldn't have been turned on by it, if anything this was shameful behavior on his part, but somehow he had dragged her into the thick of his lustful fog. His insane desire for her was flattering, and made her hot all over.

Delicate hands were quickly clawing at his back, and she panted hard onto his shoulder. Soon her legs were wrapping around his hips, wishing he would just unfasten his pants-

Hold on now, was she really going to lose her virginity like this? In a library of all places? Why was it happening so quickly?

Why did she want it so badly too?

"All day... damn you... all fucking day I thought about it..." His grinding grew more intense, forcing her to cry from the hard pressure on her sex. "I saw you... I saw you with Kankuro... and my first thought was on how I should have taken your offer immediately... and marked you-"

"Gaara, nothing... happened..." Sakura ended up panting out her last word, and it strangely had him shaking again.

"I know! I know that... but it was so raw... I can feel it even now... I need you to belong to me. I need you to know that I am the best mate for you." Gaara's tone was primal as he slipped his hand between them, the buckle on his belt clicked around as he tried to unfasten it with one hand. "You will know it... and once I have shown you my prowess you will desire no other man."

'Wow….' She was in disbelief. Who was this man in front of her now? It wasn't the normal Gaara that was a bit of a shy closet perv…

No, this Gaara was an intense lover with a carnal craving that was highly contagious. She could feel the heat radiating off of his coat, he was burning so brightly.

Suddenly she found herself reaching down fast to help him do it even though she was ultimately anxious of this moment. However, he wanted her so much that the feeling was imprinting on her. Her blood was searing in her veins as his eyes turned predatory, making her feel like the game that he hunted.

Only this chase would not give way to death, but something sweet, and just as consuming.

The pinkette could tell she was already wet for him, and her heart pounded loudly in her chest as the buckle slid skillfully through her delicate hands. He slowed down to watch her with bated breaths as she reached beneath his waistband, grabbing at his erection with complete surrender. A low moan emerged from his throat while his dark lids clamped shut.

"I can smell it on you... you're craving me-" The redhead's length was released. He primed it against her wet folds slowly, breathing heatedly through a bitten lip. As she trembled from the slick sensation he rolled his hips against hers, gaining a whine of approval for his efforts. "I can feel it too... your flesh speaks to me... I know your secrets."

'A beast, and a poet.' The fact of it had her swooning.

His haunting eyes weren't anywhere but on her own, staring into the windows of her soul while he moved against her. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered around, her lashes growing lidded with a burning need to kiss him.

As her mouth slanted against his own Sakura felt him hum lowly. What was desperate before was now turning hypnotic now that they both knew that they would eventually get what they desired. She already felt herself growing close just from how his burning erection slid against her sacred bundle of nerves. A mewl escaped her, causing him to break away with a devilish smirk.

"If you keep doing that I won't be able to stop myself-" Gaara attempted to tease, but that time had long since passed. She was more than prepared for him now.

"I don't want you to stop." The pinkette panted for him, and although he already seemed more than aroused his face flushed further. A bit of his innocence returned, more so when she couldn't control her hips from undulating against the underside of his length. A sharp whine slipped out of her, and she felt his hands pulling her even harder against himself.

"Use me... Use me to get you there." The redhead's eyes glazed over, and while she could tell he wanted to moan at her pleasurable enthusiasm she also knew that he was holding back. He puffed heatedly, his eyes locking onto hers before darting down to where they moved against each other. He seemed completely entranced by it all, and it had her pleasure thrumming rapidly.

"I'm so close-" Sakura started to whine harshly, causing his eyes to break away from the enticing show before him to take in her expression. He swallowed, and licked his lips before giving a harsh exhale.

"That's it... keep going..." Gaara reached up to move her tousled pink hair out of her eyes. His hand held her jaw with his fingers wrapping just under her ear. His breath quaked as he ran his thumb over the bottom lip of her whining mouth. He made sure to keep her lips parted with the digit, forcing her to remain audible for his visual and musical enjoyment. "I want you to break... and scream hard-"

"Gaara! Please!" The pinkette's hips grew desperate, finding that she was the only one picking up speed. While his breathing increased the most that she could get out of him was a strangled whimper. She could feel the pleasure pounding through her whole frame, her legs wrapping painfully tight around him as she pushed herself to give him what he wanted.

"Yes. Beg for it... cry... scream-" His voice beckoned to her, and while she was moaning wantonly with each slide of his hips, it was his last words that had her completely undone. He leaned in, a hairs width away from her panting mouth to make a finite command. "Cum for me..."

The redhead was on a whole other level than her, and his overpowering words had her shuddering as her orgasm approached so fast it blindsided her.

Everything he wanted he got from her. She begged, she cried, she screamed in a pitch that was too high, and she tensed hard as she came.

It was relentless, unforgiving, and spectacular. She kept hearing his breathy laughs as her cries refused to dim or let up. The intense pressure of his hips on her sex was forcing her climax to pound on her continuously, leaving her in tears as she wailed through it.

She was in a frozen state by the end of it, turned to stone yet heaving her breath as she tried to get herself out of it, but her lover wasn't necessarily the kindest of people. He snickered as he kept his ridiculous force on her.

"I bet we could push you further..." Gaara panted excitedly, and she tried shaking her head in response before her body started to shudder from the overuse of her raw nerves. She felt numb, but in the best way possible.

At the sight of her violent trembling the redhead finally let up, and held her up right instead of having her do it for herself. His arms were comforting, and strong.

She could feel his erection pulsing, begging for the attention it had just lost. This was far from over.

"You look so beautiful like that... it looked painful too... you came so hard…" Gaara had leaned in to whisper in her ear, sending her into another wave of violent shivers. "I bet it felt incredible-"

"S-stop..." Sakura tried turning from him, but his hands grew adventurous. With one wrapped around her frame the other groped at her chest.

"I know you want more." His smug grin ghosted over her skin to kiss at her cheek before forcing her to kiss him full on. She squirmed slightly, feeling a bit too overwhelmed by everything around her, but once again he was merciless. He bit her lip playfully before pulling away.

"How wet are you, do you know?" The redhead asked breathlessly, his hand smoothing down her front until it nestled between her legs. With his eyes locked on hers his smug grin only grew bigger once he had his answer. It spurred her to wriggle in his grip with embarrassment, and while she struggled he let out a genuine laugh. "Don't be like that... I like it. It means it felt good, right-?"

"Stop it!" The pinkette blushed and wailed while attempting to push him away, but it only made him more mischievous. Three fingers slipped inside her, leaving her whimpering in anxiety, and in pleasure. "N-no!"

"Ssh, I just want to make you feel good-" Before Gaara could really set himself to work she grabbed at his length, and began stroking him firmly. His whole body tensed as a youthful moan escaped him. "That's cheating."

"Beg, cry, scream... cu-." Sakura panted out the words, but before she could say the final piece his mouth formed over her own in a passionate kiss. Their hands abandoned their tasks in favor of clinging to each other.

She could feel him trembling under her gentle touches, and wondered if perhaps all this bravado was out of sheer nerves.

He was using words she had never heard him say before, nor did she think he even knew what they were or what they meant.

Perhaps he wasn't as innocent as she thought. That ideation had her breaking away rather quickly.

"What's wrong?" The redhead asked, and it made her blush in the realization of what she actually wanted to ask him.

"Have you... done this before?" The pinkette spoke just above a whisper, unable to find her courage for such a poorly timed question. She knew it could go so many ways, especially south.

"I've kissed you many times-"  
"That's not what I'm asking!" Sakura squeaked, and he blinked at her in confusion. Obviously he still had that rather clueless streak. "Have you... um... 'made love' before?"

It felt so cheesy coming out of her mouth. 'Making love', it was a laughably childish way of thinking about it. Or at least that's what she told herself.

"...You mean intercourse, yes?" Gaara rose his naked brows up, attempting to confirm what she was asking of him. When she nodded he looked off to the side. "Does it matter?"

'Does it matter... does it matter!? Is he serious!?' Her inner voice was screeching.

"Yes! I'd like to know where you've been, thank you very much!" The pinkette huffed, and for a moment his face twisted up strangely before he broke out into a genuine laugh. It had her shocked to say the least.

"I've been to a place called nowhere. I've lived there my whole life." The redhead chuckled, unable to contain his humor as she stared at him completely dumbstruck. "It has never rained in my desert. Forgive my inexperience."

That had to be the weirdest way she had ever heard someone refer to themselves as a virgin. Yet, she found it oddly adorable.

"So you're a virgin? For real?" Sakura pressed, and while her fingertips kneaded the tops of his shoulders he still seemed rather uncomfortable. His expression twisted again awkwardly before turning away.

"Please don't make me say it out loud. It's not something I like to boast about-" Gaara cleared his throat as he continued to look off to the side, but she was not going to spare his pride. It was his turn to be flustered.

"Why? I think it's cute." The pinkette traced his jaw with her fingers, and to her delight he ended up clenching it under her gentle touch.

"That's not a compliment-" He huffed bitterly, but she knew that no matter how she treated him now there was no going back for him. This was her chance.

"I don't really care if you see it as a compliment or an insult. I think you're cute... and it turns me on..." Sakura turned his face to look at her, giving him the most sultry look that she could muster. His flushing cheeks only seemed to darken. "That's what really matters, right? That I want you inside me-"

"What a dangerous thing to say, I could take you at any time." The redhead's coal rimmed eyes narrowed threateningly, but she wasn't the least bit intimidated.

"Then stop stalling, I want you to do it." Her thighs moved against the sides of his hips, coiling around him like a seductive snake. His lips parted, letting out soft pants of desire.

The final nail in the coffin, she had the perfect words to undo him.

"Gaara... I need you inside me... please..." The pinkette pleaded desperately.

A sharp exhale left him as if his soul had been sucked out, only to be replaced by something more primal. His eyes looked far more hazy then they usually did, even in his more ravenous moments. The haunting orbs roamed her frame, as did his smooth pale hands; gripping her curves and mounds with a dream-like anticipation.

"As you wish..." Gaara's relaxed lips murmured softly, his fingers pushing her skirt up to clearly reveal her lower half. His breathing seemed too calm, even while his palms explored her bare skin his composure was far too entranced. He seemed to be under a spell.

"Gaara..." Sakura's tone was a worried one. She had never seen him act so out of it before. The touching felt good, but his attitude was so different that the touches only made her feel more exposed. She tried maneuvering herself backwards to get some space between them, but his pale hands gripped hard at her hips to yank her back to him.

The redhead snarled at her like a feral animal, his canines showed as he pulled his lips back. It frightened her more than she thought it would. He noticed her expression, and as soon as it was made clear to him his demeanor relaxed once more. He leaned in while pulling her up to him, and bit her neck gently.

The pinkette squeaked for a moment, and at the tone he scraped his teeth against her jugular. Her body jolted from the sensation, but his arm around her waist held her completely captive.

"This is your last chance... I can stop now... but if you tell me otherwise I will not stop even if you beg me too..." He huffed huskily into her ear, making her heart race anxiously. "Even if it hurts you... I can't stop it... so end it now-"

"Gaara... please… you have my permission." Her fingers tangled in his hair, clenching onto the locks out of fear, but she knew it had to be now. She felt his breath shudder, and his body tensed up even though he was still rubbing her down.

'Like ripping off a bandaid... I just have to end it quickly.' She convinced herself, and tried to relax as much as possible. 'Relax, and just let it go...'

Gaara paused for a moment, composing himself before she felt the tip of him at her entrance. She swallowed hard, her heart pounding at a rabbit's pace.

"I love you." He whispered, and it had her heart skipping a beat.

Before she could even truly ingest his words he slid his burning length inside of her. Her body clenched up as he entered, forcing her to lean forward to bite down on his clothed shoulder, and cry out painfully through her teeth. He slurred a curse, slowly pulling out of her before pushing back in.

"Gaara!" Sakura cried sharply both in white hot agony and slight pleasure. He filled her to the brim painfully, but it also felt strangely intoxicating.

He pulled out slowly again, and then slammed back in. Another pained whine escaped her, and it was louder than the first. Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, and she met him with each thrust. It hurt, but the pain was starting fade into pleasure once he would rest for a few seconds inside of her, and allowed her to relax before moving again.

"You... feel so good..." The redhead's voice shook breathlessly before he went in for a much needed kiss. She whined against his lips as he continued his slow yet intense pace. "Are you alright?"

"Yes..." The pinkette whimpered, and as another thrust had her pain and pleasure mingling she felt a tear slip down her cheek, regardless of how she truly felt. He was quick to lick it away, and even quicker to place his freshly tear wetted lips to her own.

They breathed through open mouth kisses, panting against each others lips as they moved. With one arm wrapped firmly around her waist to hold her steady the other clenched under her lifted leg, pulling on her for added force. He was moving slowly, but it was so intense that each slam of his hips had her lashes fluttering, her breath gasping for oxygen, and her body trembling. However, his hard grip on her entire body was comforting.

Soon the feeling of pain melted away, leaving nothing but a raw desire for him to continue moving inside her. She wanted more, and decided to beg him for it.

"Gaara... please... go harder-" The second her words were said he slammed into her so hard the desk shook. With a shudder he did it again, and a harsh cry left her throat. Suddenly his pace picked up, and her whole body rocked with the amount of force he placed on her.

There was so much noise, the desk was creaking underneath her, and she felt scared that someone might hear them. He needed to slow down, or else she was going to scream...

"You're so beautiful... Sakura... my Sakura..." Gaara panted lovingly, and possessively. His hips were moving at an intensity that she couldn't keep up with. Eventually he slowed, but it was only to guide her arms around his neck. "Hold onto me..."

Sakura nodded, and let him move her however he wanted. She clung to him in desperation as both of his hands gripped her hips almost painfully. That's when it became the end for her.

Holding her in a vice grip he began thrusting into her at a frantic pace, and had she not been holding onto him for dear life she knew he would have pushed her right off of the surface of the desk.

The pinkette cried out against his shoulder, ecstasy in her tone as she felt her limbs begin to go weak and numb.

Gaara was relentless, and powerful as he moved with a physical skill she didn't expect from him. She cursed repeatedly, not knowing proper words to say to convey how good it felt, and he seemed to repeat them back to her in his own gruff and breathless tone.

Together they were climbing, and when she started to fall over the edge he put in everything that he had to make her ending that much sweeter.

Sakura prayed. Her body felt like it was going to pass out with the intense waves of pleasure. They were merciless, crashing through her core and up her back to the top of her head. Colors began to blur together in a haze, and she felt herself begin to go deaf from the sound of blood rushing through her ears and veins.

Her last scream had her shaking like a single leaf on a tree in a vicious sandstorm. Sweat dripped down her brow as pang after pang of raw pleasure struck her from the inside. It burned her white hot, and down to ashes. Slowly she felt herself come out of it, but he was still rocking into her fiercely.

The redhead let out a near painful sound, practically shouting through his clenched teeth as he pulled out of her to pulse his essence onto her swollen folds. He shivered almost as much as she did, his muscles twitching from overexertion while he raced to try to catch his breath. Breathing frantically, but deeply, he let out a few remaining whimpers that were clinging stubbornly inside of him.

He was sweating, his pale skin glistening with flushed cheeks and lips. His crimson locks clung to him, and started to fall into his tightly shut eyes. When he gave a shake to his damp hair she could feel a light mist, although it didn't bother her in the slightest. If anything he had never looked more beautiful then he did right at that moment, and she was just as high as he was.

Dark clamped lids opened, and looked at her with a fresh emotion she had never seen from anyone before. As he breathed harshly he managed a dopey smile.

"I love you." Gaara murmured, this time truly saying it to her openly rather than within a whisper. She was glowing, and she was dumbfounded.

Sakura didn't know how to answer him. Her mind was skipping rapidly over what had just happened, and what he had just said to her. He seemed to notice her spaciness, and looked off to the side as if he were ashamed of himself.

"Sorry... I'm... impatient. I'm so sorry-" In the middle of Gaara sowing his own seeds of doubt in his mind she swiftly turned his cheek to face her before giving him a passionate kiss. He tensed at first, his fingers twitching on her hips from the shock, but soon he let out a low hum of approval.

She hoped that answer could satisfy him-

"Lord Gaara, Baki would like to go over that last mission with-" An unknown voice suddenly broke the silence, making her blood run cold. By the sound of it the ninja in question already knew that he had just made a fatal mistake.

Sand started to slither across the floor-

"Gaara, don't do that. Please." Sakura had broke away from the kiss to give him a pleading look, which was a rare thing for her to do. The sand went completely lifeless as it plopped into unorganized piles. His expression was still truly livid.

"My apologies, I'll just let myself out. Thank you for your gracious time." The nameless ninja bowed repeatedly, even as he closed the door behind him.

"Fucking piece of shit-" The redhead began to shake with rage.

"Hey now, don't ruin the moment." The pinkette murmured softly, but his expression remained furious. "Save that murderous energy for later. If I remember correctly we have a game of damsel in distress planned."

His expression immediately went soft with innocent curiosity. Obviously this wasn't striking a bell, but his face alone was adorable enough that she could care less.

"Don't you remember? You wanted to play the villain, and tie me up... make me scream-"

"I have absolutely no memory of that." Gaara deadpanned, but a mischievous smile quickly found it's way across his features. "But it sounds like fun."

She breathed a sigh of relief, happy that she could get him to see things a bit more positively.

"Okay, so no maiming. If you behave nicely maybe we can play that game later, yes?" Sakura brushed some strands out of his face, and he nearly purred in response.

"I love games." The redhead said huskily, leaning into her hands for further petting like a loyal dog.

"I know you do, that's why I offered to play." The pinkette gave a cheshire grin, feeling ultimately successful on not only continuing to capture his interest, but she dodged the 'love' bullet as well as saved some poor man's life.

Although, she knew her affection for him was beginning to lean on love. She just didn't know if she was ready to say it.

'You're afraid of the word, that's the only reason why you wont say it. You're scared he'll leave once you do…'

That thought horrified her, but judging by how much he had dedicated himself to her, and today's events she was certain that it would take more than a war to split them apart.

She wanted to take that chance, and she already started down her path by taking this leap with him.

However, on a more awkward note, now she had to delve into a lifestyle she wasn't quite ready for. She knew that after this tryst he would probably be vying for her every second of the day, and she didn't know if she was prepared for so much physical attention.

'Oh boy... what have I done?' Sakura felt herself break out into another sweat while he continued to nuzzle her affectionately. His love for her made her smile. 'No, I regret nothing.'

\- ….. - … -

Gaara was somewhat upset that he had been called on a mission, and it showed in his work.

A new leaf shinobi had been imprisoned today, and he got the job of torturing the fellow for information. Sadly the man was tight lipped, and passed out before he could get much out of him.

"You should have held off, he probably has more information in him-" Baki grumbled as they walked past the dark cells, the redhead was keeping a keen eye out for any familiar faces. Unfortunately, even with his great night vision faces were still blurred in the dark. His vision was far better than most, but it wasn't perfect. The poor lighting didn't help in the least, if anything the incandescent light of torches washed out people's features more than if he were just looking into pure pitch.

Everything was bothering him all at once.

"Get someone else to do it then if you don't like my methods. You should be happy that I didn't kill him." Gaara huffed, irritated by the scolding as well as the disruption towards his search. The man next to him stopped walking, and it took a moment for the redhead to register that the older shinobi was falling behind.

"Yes, you've been holding off on the death blows lately. It makes me wonder if that leaf woman is making you go soft-"

"Her name is Sakura, and just because she is from the leaf does not mean that she is automatically my enemy." Gaara turned to glare, challenging his sensei with just one look. However, Baki was not the type to bow out.

"Who is your enemy, Gaara? If it is not the leaf, then to whom does your allegiance lie?" His former sensei seemed to be on the defense, his posture had gone rigid as he threw out accusations.

'I know that no matter what I say it will be taken as a threat. Nothing I do will be right in anyone's eyes, with the exception of the small few I hold close to me... Sakura especially... In her eyes I am not a monster, I am just a man.' The redhead took a calming breath, and shocked himself over how composed he felt. Just thinking of Sakura gave him so much strength.

"My allegiance... lies with people that I can trust. I trust a handful both in the leaf, and in the sand. I will not betray these people, but I will destroy anything that threatens them specifically." Gaara didn't fail to notice the double take from Baki, although he couldn't really blame him. For him to have friends at all was almost like a freak accident, even if those friends consisted of two siblings and one girlfriend.

'The fact that I even have them is astonishing...' The redhead mused to himself, fighting a small smile at the thought that someone actually cared for him.

"So, if a leaf shinobi came in right now, and placed a knife at my throat, would you kill to save me? Or would you leave me to die?" The jounin placed a scenario suspiciously in front of his former student. It had Gaara lost in thought over it.

Would he leave him to die? He supposed it depended on the leaf shinobi attacking him...

"I would save you, but the attacker would not die. They would be questioned-"

"Life doesn't work that way, Gaara." Baki interjected immediately, grating on the redhead's nerves. "Sometimes we have to make tough choices. Sometimes we have to choose sides-"

"-And my choice was to make it so neither of you die. My choice is to live and let live." Gaara took a step closer to his former teacher, adamant about getting his point across. "I don't want you to die, and I don't want to kill the people of the woman I love. Why is it that we can't have both? Why do you keep sending me out there to kill people who have nothing left?!"

'What... is this... feeling?'

"I am done! This war will end by my hands, but my hands will no longer be covered in blood! I don't want to do it anymore! Do not call on me to do your dirty work ever again-!"

"You're joking. How can you suddenly be an activist for peace when you hate everyone?" The jounin bit venomously, and while it had the redhead taken aback he also felt his temper boiling over. Something was about to spill out-

"I DON'T HATE ANYONE, THEY HATE ME! I NEVER ASKED TO BE A JINCHURIKI, AND YOU ALL TORTURED ME FOR SOMETHING I COULD NOT CONTROL! ALL I EVER WANTED WAS FOR SOMEONE TO FUCKING CARE ABOUT ME!"

Gaara ran out of air from yelling so hard, and the man in front of him was shell shocked from it. The redhead took that opportunity to finish his initial thought.

"All I wanted was to be loved, to be important to someone. I finally have that. I am no longer broken from a loveless life. My pieces have been gathered, and they are being glued back together piece by tiny piece. Now that this person has saved me I will do anything in my power to keep her from becoming sad. She doesn't want her people to suffer anymore, so I will no longer kill them. I refuse."

Gaara closed his eyes, feeling as if something heavy had been lifted off of him. He almost felt like crying it was so relieving.

"But, I care for my siblings, and I feel somewhat close to you. I do not want to see you all hurt or saddened either. So I will do anything in my power to make it so that both sides will win-"

A clapping was heard from inside one of the cells, forcing both of them to turn their heads in alert. In the shadow, Gaara saw two hands clapping strongly, and they belonged to a man with silver hair...

"That was beautiful, Gaara. I never thought I would say this, but I truly hope they make you Kazekage." The voice was familiar, he knew it from his youth.

"... Kakashi..." The redhead gaped slightly as the man's face came into view. He was completely maskless, which was probably why he didn't recognize him. The leaf jounin smiled, but kept one of his eyes shut.

"It's been a long time, it seems my student has been treating you well. I'm actually glad." Kakashi gave a weak laugh, he looked withered and worn. The bruises on his wrists and neck also told Gaara that he had been tortured repeatedly, but he knew it hadn't been by his own hands.

The redhead went to approach the bars, but Baki held him back with a stern hand.

"He's killed three of our men already, just in captivity-"

"Why didn't you tell me he was here?" Gaara interrupted, he could honestly care less as to how many people the copycat ninja had killed. He stared at Kakashi's eye, noticing its tired appearance. He went to move again, jerking out of Baki's grip.

"We didn't think it would be safe. He is Sakura's sensei, and with how much you sacrifice for her we knew you would try to free him." His former sensei sounded worn too, as far as the redhead was concerned this war was simply wearing everyone out.

"Gaara, I hope you will continue to take good care of Sakura. It sounds like you truly love her." Kakashi smiled genuinely this time, and Gaara had to admit that the older ninja was a handsome man. "I'm happy to know she's alive, and safe. I hope one day you can stay true to your word... and stop this war..."

Suddenly the silver-haired ninja looked sullen, like something great had been knocked away from him.

"I will not live to see it, but that is the price I will pay for not stopping it in the first place." Kakashi murmured. The redhead felt frozen by that statement, and truly noticed just where they were.

Death row. Those meant to be executed in the days to come.

"You will live to see it." Before he could even think, the words began leaving his mouth. He surprised himself with his own declaration, and yet he felt it to be the truth.

Gaara would not let this man die.

"Gaara, it's time you left." Baki's tone was stern, and angry, but the redhead could care less. His mind was made up, and he would fight his own people to save this one man.

This man that Sakura cared deeply for, anyone she loved would not die as long as he was around to prevent it. He swore it on his very soul.

\- ... - ... -

"What are you doing?" Sakura's voice sounded nervous, and he turned in time to see her studying him with suspicion.

Well, packing a satchel wasn't necessarily normal unless you meant to leave somewhere. He turned away from her before grabbing a few kunai from his nightstand.

"We are leaving." Gaara answered plainly, noting the intense silence behind him. It was palpable.

"Is it okay for us to leave?" The pinkette sounded monotonous, it was the most serious tone he had ever heard from her.

'Shinobi habits die hard.' The redhead smirked, knowing that once they left the village she would probably pick back up on her training. 'It's better this way.'

"No. We're deserting." His answer was raw, and to the point. For a moment he expected her to panic, but when nothing came he remembered just how strong she was.

"Can I ask why?" Sakura's hand appeared in his peripheral vision, placing her soft fingers over his own to stop him from packing. Her skin was warm, and comforting, but he couldn't smile for her. He knew what the newest turn of events would do to her.

"Kakashi is in our prison. He's to be executed tomorrow morning..." Gaara didn't waste time in being delicate, and sadly it had her shaking. He looked up to see her face grow paler by the second, and tears started flowing from her widened eyes.

He never wanted to see her look so hurt, and yet just the mere mention of what was happening had her completely shattered.

The redhead was finished with this disease called sadness. He would not let it affect the people he cared for any longer.

"That execution will not happen. We will free him, and immediately leave. Together." Gaara turned back to his pack, putting away some spare clothes with overly focused eyes. He could hear her choking on her sobs as they bubbled out of her, and although he felt bad about it he also knew that the remedies to the problem were already in motion.

"G-Gaara..." Sakura hiccuped, and he felt her head rest on his shoulder first before her arms desperately clung to him. "Th-Thank you..."

His heart was pounding, although he didn't exactly know why. The ties to his pack were fastened quickly, yet he still stared off into space; day dreaming of what was to come.

There would be no protection once he left, and the knives at his throat would rush in to kill him as swiftly as possible. His jumping to the other side would cause absolute chaos, but he was willing to accept everyone's anger in exchange for her happiness.

Gaara loved Sakura, and he didn't want to live a single day without her smile.

"When the war is over... will you still stay by my side?" The redhead asked without thinking, and almost cursed himself for it.

"Yes." Her answer shot through him like a knife, yet it had his heart thumping wildly. He had never felt so insane in his entire life, and he wasn't even killing anyone; just the opposite actually.

Suddenly he felt it coming out, the strangest question he would ever ask another human being.

"When the war... is over... will you be my wife?" Gaara stayed focused on his bag, he refused to look her in the eye for the fear of her leering at him with disgust. When silence filled the room once more he felt his brow furrow before the emotion of shame began to sink in-

"Alright, but I want a child. So you had better be ready to become a fathe-ah!" Sakura squeaked as he abruptly pulled her into a tight embrace. His breath was shaking, his hands were trembling, and his eyes were clamped shut out of fear of accidentally crying.

"Thank you." The redhead whispered, and her hands wrapped around his frame in return. "I love you."

"I love you too." The pinkette sounded just as anxious, but there was a smile in her voice. She was happy.

All that was left was to wait, and seize their chance.

The future was waiting, and they were going to conquer it.

To be continued... 


End file.
